Denmark July 2019

Tesla Model 3 and the Koreans

After a memorable 2018, sales have become somewhat irregular this year, but with registrations up 82%, to 4,826 units so far, placing the 2019 PEV share at 3,5%, a significant jump regarding the 2018 score (2%).

This irregularity is connected to the current leader, the Tesla Model 3, that is known for its production constrained-related peaks, but despite this, the Tesla nameplate owns 26% of the market, with a sizeable lead over the #2 Kia Niro PHEV. I guess Tesla can order, with 5 months in advance, a Best Seller party here...

Below the Tesla Model 3 lead, we have three(!) Korean models, with 4 of the Top 6 models coming from the Hyundai-Kia ranks.

In the Manufacturers ranking, Tesla is the new king, with 28% share, while last year leader Kia is now in the runner-up spot, with 26%, while Hyundai, with 14%, is firm in the last place of the podium.

Tesla Model 3 & the ICE competition

Pl	Model	2019 sales
1	Mercedes C-Class	2.068
2	BMW 3-Series	1.568
3	Volvo S/V60	1.332
4	Tesla Model 3	1.237
5	Audi A4	834

One of the question marks around the Model 3 in Europe, regarded the impact that it was going to make on this side of the Atlantic, will it disrupt the PEV and ICE sedan market in the same way that it is doing in the US, or will it be more subdued, because it is playing away from home?

The answer is now being written, comparing the Model 3 with the competition, the Tesla is losing a bit of charge. dropping two positions, to #4.

Looking at the near future, the Tesla Model 3 should increase deliveries throughout the rest of 2019, now that the SR/SR+ versions are being delivered in large numbers, but the new PHEV version of the BMW 3-Series should prevent the German model from being surpassed by the Californian, so i guess Tesla should end the year in 3rd, ahead of the Volvo twins.

Denmark March 2019

Tesla Model 3 and the Koreans

After a memorable 2018, where PEV sales almost tripled, sales continue going through the roof this year, with 4,289 units so far, placing the 2019 PEV share at 3%, not only a significant jump regarding the 2018 score (2%), but also well above the absolute record (2.3%), set in 2015.

Regarding last year, BEVs recovered significant ground, now being responsible for 47% of plugin sales, much better than the 32% won last year. 

This recent uptick in BEV sales is thanks to the addition of three new models, with the Tesla Model 3 jumping to 2nd place in the 2019 ranking, while being the Best Seller in March, whil the Hyundai Kona EV is #4, with 208 units, and the just-landed Kia Niro EV is now #6, with 119 deliveries.

Despite the Tesla Model 3 thundering arrival, the Kia Niro PHEV is still the leader in the YTD ranking, underlining the an interesting feature of this market, as 5 out of the Top 6 models come from Korea.

In the Manufacturers ranking, last year leader Kia continues to be the Best Selling brand (22%), with Tesla and Hyundai, both with 9% share, filling the remaining podium places.

Tesla Model 3 & the ICE competition

Pl	Model	2019 sales
1	VW Passat	364
2	Tesla Model 3	306
3	Mercedes C-Class	270
4	BMW 3-Series	203
5	Volvo S/V60	200

One of the question marks around the Model 3 in Europe, regarded the impact that it was going to make on this side of the Atlantic, will it disrupt the PEV and ICE sedan market in the same way that it is doing in the US, or will it be more subdued, because it is playing away from home?

The answer is now being written, comparing the Model 3 with the competition, its 306 deliveries in March allowed it to beat every competitor in its category.

But looking at the total Q1 registrations, the Tesla Model 3 was 2nd, behind the VW Passat, in the future expect the Model 3 to jump ahead soon, although the new PHEV versions of the Volvo S/V60, VW Passat and BMW 3-Series could boost their sales and race the Californian for the leadership. 

Denmark January 2019

Korean turf

Sales continue to grow fast in Denmark, with 424 units registered last month, placing the 2019 PEV share at 2% in the first month of the year, in line with last year result, while at the same time, BEVs have recovered significant ground (53% share, +21% regarding 2018), considering that PHEVs frankly outsold pure electrics (68% vs 32%) last year.

The Hyundai Kona EV started the year jumping to the leadership, with 129 deliveries, followed by last year winner Kia Niro PHEV (97 registrations), while the Nissan Leaf is Third, with 40 units.

Just outside the Podium, we have another Korean model, the Hyundai Ioniq PHEV, while the #6 Jaguar i-Pace had its best month in this market, with 20 units. 

Proof of the popularity that the Korean makers are experiencing in this market, is the fact that the #8 Kia Optima PHEV (12 units) is the fourth Korean model in the Top 10...

A sign of the changing times, while last year Volkswagen had their two PHEVs in the Top 10, this time the Best Selling VW is the all-electric e-Golf, with 11 deliveries.

 In the Manufacturers ranking, we are witnessing a Korean fest, with Hyundai being the Best Seller (40% share), and Kia in Second Place (26%), while the best non-Korean brand is Nissan (10%) in a distant Third Spot.

Denmark December 2018

Kia Niro PHEV #1 in Booming market

The 4.583 units registered last year in Denmark, represented a 261% jump regarding 2017,making it the best year since 2015.

This surge in sales lead to a 2018 PEV share of 2%, slightly lower than the 2.3% of 2015, but a good starting base for this market to go into record levels in 2019. Will it reach 4%? 5%?

Unfortunately, a large part of this growth comes from PHEVs, that shooted +449%, while BEVs  jumped a more reasonable +111%, resulting in a PHEV share of 68% of all plugin sales, a new all-time high, and a stark departure from the 23% that plugin hybrids had in 2017, a strange case of delayed PHEV-addiction, when most markets across Europe are dropping the PHEV addiction.

But enough of complaining, in the middle of this sales boom, the surprise winner was the Kia Niro PHEV, with 1.113 units, easily winning the Models title (a first for Kia) with almost double the sales of the #2 Nissan Leaf, itself also a big surprise, having surged from na almost insignificant 20 registrations in 2017, to 637 in 2018. Not bad…

Finally, the VW Golf GTE benefitted from a great first half of the year to secure a Third Spot, thus making a completely new Podium regarding the previous year, when the Renault Zoe won the title, followed by the VW e-Up! and the Tesla Model X.

Looking at the remaining models ranking, the aforementioned Renault Zoe climbed to 4th in the last month of the year, thanks to a Year Best performance in December (121 deliveries).

In the Manufacturers ranking, Kia (31%) won the Best Seller award, its first, with Volkswagen repeating last years Second Place (15%), and Nissan (14%) winning to Hyundai the race for Bronze, but nevertheless, the fact that Hyundai was so close to the podium, highlights the rising powers that the Koreans are now.

A final note regarding 2019, as this is becoming an unpredictable market and i do not know who will win (Koreans?), i will only mention my forecast for the Tesla Model 3 in Denmark: 350 units. 

Denmark April 2018 (Draft)

The light at the end of the tunnel?

Despite not having the full sales breakdown of PHEV models, i had to publish a post on the moves happening in Denmark, but first, a little of background on the local market is needed, to understand the current moment, after a positive run until 2014, year that PEVs hit 0.9%, things went off-rail in 2015, as the local government announced fiscal changes that would hit EVs in a big way, which lead to a big sales surge by the end of the year, especially regarding Tesla, leading to a record 2.3% share.

Of course, that also lead to a big sales hangover in the following year, with PEV share dropping to just 0.6%.

But the long, hard road out of hell, didn't ended there, as 2017 was even worse, with another drop, this time to 0.4%, a performance that placed Denmark far behind from their Scandinavian neighbors.    

There have been talks of new fiscal changes for this year, that i do not know if they have been put in place, but one thing is certain, the 2018 picture looks quite different, in more ways than one, first, sales have gone through the roof this year, to 662 units, placing the 2018 PEV share at 0.9%, while at the same time, PHEVs have taken over this market (52% share), a significant change, considering BEVs used to have some 90% share here.

After these context lines, let's go to the fun part: Plug-in sales.

The two times Best Seller (2013 and '14) Nissan Leaf is back to the in the leadership, thanks to the new generation with the local importer betting heavily on its EV, while the remaining podium positions go to the VW Golf GTE (Already sold out for this year!) and Hyundai Ioniq Electric.

Looking below, it's a PHEV-laden topic, with the recent Kia Niro PHEV showing as a possible medal candidate soon.

In the Manufacturers ranking, Nissan is the Best Seller (29%), with Volkswagen in Second Place (19%), and BMW (16%) is in the Third Spot.