Looking for EVs - From Germany to Sweden

Germany - We saw 2 or 3 Teslas on the autobahn, but no other Premium EVs. Or PHEVs, for that matter. 

In Berlin, a few Nissan Leaf and VW were visible, just like 1 Kona EV, 1 VW e-Up! and 1 Smart EV. Oh, and 1 Opel Ampera, that still hadn't migrated to other pastures. Funny enough, we haven't spotted any Renault Zoe, or even BMW i3, that seemed so common on other visits to the city.

So. Many. Cars. In Germany. It will be a titanic task to change this fleet into EVs. 

Sweden - We didn't had to look for them, because they showed regularly on the road, though without with the frequency we see in Norway, where they pop up everywhere, but nevertheless, Sweden is getting there.

Plenty of Teslas, all three nameplates, but also Kia Niro PHEV/EV, Nissan Leaf, e-NV200, BMW i3...You name it.

Sweden August * 2019

* - By mistake i had titled the post "Sweden July 2019", when obviously it was supposed to be August. Sorry for the mistake, it's now corrected.

1-2 win for Kia in August

We start the month in Sweden, the local plug-in market was up just 4% YoY, to 2.487 registrations, with August scoring a 9% share for plugins, keeping the 2019 PEV share at 11%. 

Diesels are down to 30% share last month, so by the looks of it, in 2025 the once dominant fuel will be residual in new registrations.

Looking at last month Best Sellers, while the Tesla Model 3 had its worst deliveries month since it landed (see Model S deliveries below), dropping below the podium in July, Kia had a great month, placing two models in the top two spots, with the Optima PHEV in #1, with 371 registrations, most of them station wagons, while the Niro PHEV was 2nd, with 313 units.

But the two most surprising performances showed up in 7th and 8th, with the #8 Tesla Model S scoring 117 deliveries, its best off-peak result ever, so it seems the specs update have made it popular again in Sweden, almost beating its smaller brother, Model 3. A freak event?  

Finally, the Nissan Leaf ended the month in #7, with 119 registrations, its best result since March, so it seems the 62 kWh version is providing the much needed sales fix for the Japanese hatchback.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Kia Optima PHEV	371
2	Kia Niro PHEV	313
3	Mit. Outlander PHEV	246
4	Tesla Model 3	148
5	Renault Zoe	138

On the 2019 ranking, there is not much to talk about on the top positions, the Volvo XC60 PHEV was up one position, to #7, changing places with the Kia Niro EV, that with only 32 registrations, seems to have ended the 2019 allocation units. Better luck in 2020?

On the second half of the ranking, we have both the Volvo XC90 PHEV and the VW e-Golf(63 units, new Year Best!) rising one position, to #17 and #18, respectively, with both models surpassing the Kia Soul EV, that despite the new generation, seems to have inherited its antecessor battery constraints. 

Speaking of Koreran BEVs, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric joined the ranking, in #20, thanks to 55 deliveries, its best performance since January. Will the revised version bring a higher battery availability? In any case, this new addion to the BEV field allowed all-electrics to have 11 representatives in the Top 20, this being the first time since 2014 that BEVs are the majority.

Outside the Top 20, the Tesla Model X is just two units away from joining the Top 20, and we should mention the landing of the new BMW 330e, with 40 units. How high will it go?  

In the manufacturers ranking, Kia is in the lead, with 26% share (up 1%), with Tesla (16%, up 1%) in 2nd place, while Volvo (15%, up 1%) and Mitsubishi (14%) discuss the last podium seat.

Tesla Model 3 and the ICE competition

Pl	Model	2019 Sales
1	Volvo S/V60	14.354
2	BMW 3-Series	2.873
3	Mercedes C-Class	2.811
4	Tesla Model 3	2.774
5	Audi A4	1.656

In the Premium midsize car class, the Tesla Model 3 dropped to 4th, surpassed by the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class, but with the Californian expected to have a deliveries peak in September (fingers crossed), it could switch places with those two and end Q3 in #3.

Interesting is the YoY behavior of the Model 3 competitors, while those that favour comfort (Volvo and Mercedes) are growing (+18% for the Swedish twins, +42% for the German model), the ones that base their strengths in driving fun (BMW) or technology (Audi) are dropping (-10% for the 3-Series, and staggering -39% for the A4).

So once again it is proven that Tesla is primarily stealing customers from BMW and Audi.

Sweden June 2019

The next Volvo Best Seller?

Tesla Model 3 #1 in June

We start the month in Sweden, the local plug-in market was up 69% YoY, to 3.327 registrations, with June scoring a 10% share for plugins, placing the 2019 PEV share at 11%. 

Right now buyers are running away from fossil-fueled vehicles, with diesels down to 33% share last month, but because BEVs are still model/production constrained, it seems many people prefer to buy a PHEV, or wait in line for a BEV, than to buy/lease another ICE-based vehicle.

This is starting to become a trend, once a market is regularly at over 10%, the mainstream market starts to suffer and decline, as people move away from regular petrol/diesel vehicles.

Looking at last month Best Sellers, the Tesla Model 3 recovered the Best Seller of the Month award, with 524 units registered, its best result since March.

Kia placed two models in the Top 5, with the Optima PHEV in #4, with 401 registrations (new Year Best), most of them station wagons, while the Niro PHEV was 3rd, with 410 units, also a YB.

But the most surprising performance showed up in #6, with the Tesla Model S scoring 209 deliveries, its best result ever, so it seems the specs update were enough to give it a much needed sales spike. 

Although, looking at the Model S performance from another angle, this record result only allowed it to be #5 in the full-size car category, with the #4 Audi A6 scoring 306 units in June...So there's still a lot of room to grow here.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Tesla Model 3	524
2	Mit. Outlander PHEV	443
3	Kia Niro PHEV	410
4	Kia Optima PHEV	401
5	Renault Zoe	229

On the 2019 ranking, there is not much to talk about, on the top positions, the Tesla Model 3 won a some breathing space from the #3 Kia Niro PHEV, now 255 units behind.

The first change in the ranking is in #11, with the Tesla Model S jumping three positions, allowing it to be the new Best Selling full-size car on the ranking. 

On the large SUV category, there was also a leadership change, with the Audi e-Tron stealing the leadership from the Volvo XC90 PHEV, with the Swedish brand losing both leads in just one month. Maybe it's time to start launching BEVs and improving the specs of the PHEVs?....

Speaking of new BEVs, the new generation Kia Soul EV pushed the nameplate into the Top 20, at #16, pulling the Korean MPV-that-thinks-it's-a-Crossover to its highest standing ever.

Outside the Top 20, we should mention the strong start of the good performance of the Tesla Model X, with 86 deliveries, its best result since September 2016, and beating the Audi e-Tron (75), while the Mercedes EQC landed with a shy 5 deliveries, no doubt demonstration units, while the Volvo XC40 PHEV jumped its deliveries to...24 units.  

In the manufacturers ranking, Kia is in the lead, with 25% share, with Tesla (15%, up 1%) jumping to 2nd place, leaving Volvo (14%, down 2%) and Mitsubishi (also 14%) discussing the last podium seat.

Tesla Model 3 and the ICE competition

Pl	Model	2019 Sales
1	Volvo S/V60	11.627
2	VW Passat	3.185
3	Mercedes C-Class	2.376
4	BMW 3-Series	2.234
5	Tesla Model 3	2.173

Despite a great June, with 524 deliveries, the Tesla Model 3 remained in #5 on the 2019 category ranking, but has managed to recover significant ground to its German opponents, and if the Californian keeps the pace (fingers crossed), it could switch places with the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class and end Q3 in #3.

Sweden May 2019

The next Volvo PEV Best Seller?

Kia Niro PHEV #1

We start in Sweden, the local plug-in market was up 43% YoY, to 2.785 registrations, with all the hard work being done by BEVs, that jumped three-fold, while PHEVs remain stagnant (-2% YoY), keeping the PEV share at 12%, with BEVs alone having 4,9% share, a big improvement over the 1,2% of last year. 

Meanwhile, the mainstream market continues sliding, dropping 15% last month. Has Sweden hit peak-ICE? It seems so, at least.

Right now buyers are running away from fossil-fueled vehicles, with diesels at 36% share last month (It had 39% a year ago), but because BEVs are still model/production constrained, it seems many people prefer to buy a PHEV, or wait in line for a BEV, than to buy/lease another ICE-based vehicle.

This is starting to become a trend, once a market is regularly at over 10%, the mainstream market starts to suffer and decline, as people move away from regular petrol/diesel vehicles.

Looking at last month Best Sellers, the Kia Niro PHEV won its first Best Seller of the Month award this year, with 406 units registered, its best result in 10 months.

Another Kia, the Optima PHEV, closes the ranking, with 196 registrations, most of them station wagons, proving that Tesla's choice for a sedan body for the Model 3 (#4 this month) is costing it sales in Europe.

Pl	Model	Sales
1	Kia Niro PHEV	406
2	Mit. Outlander PHEV	365
3	Renault Zoe	199
4	Tesla Model 3	198
5	Kia Optima PHEV	196

On the 2019 ranking, there is not much to talk about, on the top positions, the Tesla Model 3 is now looking to keep the 2nd spot from the wheels of the #3 Kia Niro PHEV, now only 141 units behind.

Good news then that June is coming, so expect a Model 3 deliveries peak that will save it from the Korean Crossover ambitions.

The first change in the ranking is the new Volvo V60 PHEV climbing two positions, to #6, thanks to 166 units, while the VW e-Golf was also up two spots, to #17, with 62 registrations, a new year best. 

It seems the sunset-mode EV still has some tricks up its sleeve and should continue to provide consistent performances throughout the year.

Outside the Top 20, we should mention the strong start of the new generation Kia Soul EV, with 106 deliveries, while we salute the landing of another high-volume PHEV: The Volvo XC40 PHEV registered its first 6 units.  

In the manufacturers ranking, Kia is in the lead, with 25% share (up 2%), with Volvo (16%, down 2%) in Second, followed by Mitsubishi and Tesla, both with 14%, and discussing the last podium seat.

Tesla Model 3 and the ICE competition

Pl	Model	2019 Sales
1	Volvo S/V60	9.510
2	VW Passat	2.715
3	Mercedes C-Class	2.100
4	BMW 3-Series	1.780
5	Tesla Model 3	1.649

After a thunderous arrival in March, the Tesla Model 3 has lost some space in the midsize car category, falling to #5 on the 2019 category ranking, but with the June peak coming next month, expect it to switch places with the BMW 3-Series and maybe have a shot at displacing the Mercedes C-Class from #3.