Global Top 20 October 2020

 

Models: VW ID.3 and Wuling Mini EV shine in (near) Record month

After a rough start of the year, the second half of 2020 has brought a hot plugin market, and October was no exception, after a record September, last month registrations were at near record levels, with 342.000 units, just 3.000 units below the previous month.

With plugin registrations going up 127%, the highest monthly growth rate in over 8 years, both technologies were hot, with BEVs jumping 125%, to 230.000 units, while PHEVs grew 131%, to a record 111.000 units.

This brilliant result has allowed the YTD numbers increase the growth rate to +21% YoY, a step above the 2019 growth rate (+11%), so it looks (Covid willing...) 2020 will end up as a recovery year for plugins. 

With the overall automotive market losing momentum, added to a near record month, the October PEV share stayed at a record 4.9% share (3.3% BEV), pulling the 2020 plugin share to 3.5% (2.4% BEV), which is a full 1% share above the 2.5% of last year.

The future will depend much on the development of the pandemic and the seriousness of the economic crisis, but whatever happens, expect plugins to weather the storm better than the overall market, increasing its PEV share on the way.

The BEV/PHEV breakdown stayed more or less the same, with the current standing now at 68% BEV, 32% PHEV. 

The low tide mode Tesla Model 3 won another monthly Best Seller title, but the rising star Wuling Mini EV scored a record 20.631 units last month, with the tiny EV coming close to the leader, this being the first time since January that anyone was close to the Tesla midsizer .

While the Model Y repeated the monthly Bronze medal, Tesla's baby SUV had to make an effort to stay in front of the Volkswagen ID.3, with the new German EV losing its podium presence by just 18 units. Better luck in November?

The Wuling Mini EV was the Climber of the Month, jumping 4 positions, to 3rd, and with the continuing production ramp up, the Chinese EV will eventually catch the #2 Renault Zoe, while the #4 Tesla Model Y will have to work hard in December to beat the French hatchback and reach the podium.

Regarding other position changes, the Audi e-Tron climbed to #7, followed by GAC's Aion S, that was also up, to #8.

On the PHEV side, the Best Selling model in October was the VW Passat PHEV, that thanks to strong results in both China and Europe, scored 4.834 units, with the remaining podium positions last month being filled by two models outside this Top 20 which, funny enough, both came from the Mercedes stable, with the A250e (4.277 units) and the GLC300e/de (4.139). 

With the BMW 530e/Le and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV showing its wrinkles and the Ford Kuga/Escape PHEV suffering from battery suply problems, the VW plugin hybrid model is now the leader of the category and has the road open to win the 2020 Best Selling PHEV title.

On the second half of the table, the Baojun E-Series climbed two spots, to #13, thanks to a record performance of 5.919 units, Great Wall's Ora Black Cat jumped three positions, to #17, with a record 6.269 registrations, while we have two models returning to the Top 20, the Chery eQ (re)joined the Top 20, in #19, and in #20 we now have the Volvo XC60 PHEV, that managed to return to the table, thanks to a record 3.440 units.

Finally, outside the Top 20,  models deserve a mention, with the #22 NIO ES6 and the #23 Li Xiang One looking to join the table soon, something that the hot VW ID.3 should be able to do next month, despite still being some 3,600 behind the #20 Volvo XC60 PHEV, which would make just 3 PHEVs in the table.

Manufacturers: SGMW shines 

Despite being in low tide mode, Tesla managed to win another monthly Best Seller title and is in a different league, but immediately below it, there were plenty of record performances, 6 to be exact, with the most relevant coming from the SGMW joint venture (26.907 units), that allowed the City EV maker to jump 5 positions, to 6th, but also Mercedes, that registered 20.976 units, its 3rd 4th record score in a row(!), allowing the three-pointed star brand to climb to #5, and while the #4 BMW is too far ahead to be bothered by its arch rival, expect Mercedes to easily beat the Bavarian maker. 

In a different scale, young little NIO climbed to #19, having reached a record 5.055 deliveries last month, while Porsche(!) jumped two spots, to #17, a small feat for the high end brand, while Great Wall joined the table, in #18, with a record 8.115 registrations, now making 6 Chinese brands in the table.

And more could join soon, as outside the Top 20, the #22 Chery is rising fast and should replace Ford next month.

Looking at the ranking by OEMs, the VW Group won in October, with 47.000 registrations, followed by SAIC (43.000 units), while Tesla was relegated to 3rd.

SGMW: SAIC + GM + Wuling, a joint-venture between Wuling, General Motors and Shanghai Auto, with the last one owning 50,1% of the joint-venture, the American maker having a 44% share, while Wuling has 5,9% of the joint-venture.