Canada Full Year 2012

In December were sold 115 electric cars in Canada, making a total of 1.827 units in 2012, far above the 310 sold last year.

The Chevrolet Volt won by far the best seller title, leaving the Nissan Leaf, last year's winner, with #2 and just 13% market share.

Tesla landed with a splash in December, winning the pole-position and promising a lot this year.

As in other markets in 2012, Plug-In Hybrids took the lead with a sales proportion of  4 to 1 over pure EV's.

Canada	Dec	YTD	%
Chevrolet Volt	57	1.225	67
Nissan Leaf	27	240	13
Mitsubishi I-Miev	13	196	11
Tesla Model S	100	100	5
Toyota Prius Plug-In	18	63	3
Smart Fortwo ED	3	3	0
TOTAL	218	1.827	100

Source: Good Car Bad Car

Australia Full Year 2012

Despite a tremendous growth in percentage points (almost 500%), with just 253 car sales in 2012, the Australian EV market is still small, especially if you look at the larger picture, after all this is a 1 million units market, here electrics are just 0,023% of the global market.

But not all are bad news, because with little more than a month in the market, the Holden Volt passed the Nissan Leaf  and was just 15 units behind the leader Mitsubishi I-Miev, will this mean that the Volt will dominate the australian market like it does in Canada?

Only time will tell, but it looks that way, Plug-In Hybrids are increasing sales EV everywhere and if that happens in Australia,  it's possible that this year the aussie market reaches the thousands milestone.

Australia	2012	%
Mitsubishi I-Miev	95	38
Holden Volt	80	32
Nissan Leaf	78	31
TOTAL	253	100

Sources: www.carsales.com.au; Australia's VFacts

Sweden Full Year 2012

The swedish EV market ended the year with 1.212 cars, a spectacular growth from just 181 units in 2011.

This is one of the markets where Plug-In Hybrids are winning on pure electrics, they have already 56% share, when in 2011 they were virtually non existent...

...And with the new Volvo V60 Plug-In already at number two in December and willing to go after Toyota's #1, it looks that Plug-In Hybrids will grow even more in 2013.

But back to 2012, the Prius Plug-In arrived in the summer just in time to win the number one spot by a long shot, leaving the LCV Renault Kangoo ZE with #2 and Nissan Leaf #3.

These three models were all new additions to the swedish market in 2012, translating a dynamic market, where last year's leader, Mitsubishi I-Miev, lost sales to more attractive vehicles, dropping to a distant tenth place on the EV ranking.   

Sweden	Dec	2012	%
Toyota Prius Plug-In	48	499	41
Renault Kangoo ZE	20	265	22
Nissan Leaf	20	129	11
Volvo C30 Electric	5	88	7
Opel Ampera	2	88	7
Volvo V60 Plug-In	22	42	3
Chevrolet Volt	3	33	3
Citröen C-Zero	4	29	2
Fisker Karma		19	2
Peugeot iOn		9	1
Mitsubishi I-Miev	1	9	1
Smart Fortwo ED		2	0
TOTAL	125	1.212	100

Source: Bilsweden

Other Markets November 2012

This post highlights some curious facts about other EV markets:

- This year it has been sold more EV's (106.000) than in all previous years together (80.000);

- The markets with smaller or negative growth rates are Denmark (+29%), Japan (+4%) and Portugal (-54%). The portuguese negative growth is justified by the end of the 5.000€ government incentive given to EV's;

- Despite government interest and incentives in this kind of cars, EV's represent just 0,018% of the auto market in China, only in Australia there's a lower market share (0,008%) for electric cars;

- The UK market is fragmented, with the top three makers separated by only 23 units (Renault - 563 units, Nissan - 547, Vauxhall - 540);

- Chevrolet Volt has a whopping 73% share of all electric cars in Canada, with 1.168 units;

- Israel, Hong Kong and Estonia EV market are represented by only one model, respectably the Renault Fluence ZE (Included in the Better Place deal), Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi I-Miev (Bought by the Estonian government);

- The Volt family has the top spot in three countries (USA, Netherlands, Canada);

-  Renault's Twizy quadricycle is #1 in six countries (Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Portugal), just like the LCV Kangoo ZE in its home market (France) and the Fluence ZE in Denmark and Ireland;

- The Nissan Leaf is number one in three markets (Norway, Australia, Finland);

- The BYD E6 insures a number one spot in its home market (China);

- Finally, the Prius Plug-In wins at home (Japan) and in Sweden;

- Splitting sales by regional areas, GM dominates the Americas with almost half of the market, just like Toyota does in Asia and Europe is Renault's turf, with a 42% market share, thanks mostly to the Twizy, the best selling vehicle there, where one in four electric vehicles is a Twizy. 

Norway November 2012

Norway is considered the Meca of electric vehicles, and with more than 3% of the overall market, it's a deserved title. 

With 322 units, November was a weak month, but even so, it's enough to keep the year-on-year growth at more than 100%.

The Nissan Leaf is king here, keeping to himself more than half the market, but now it has the competition of the Ampera / Volt twins and the Prius PHEV. Can Nissan keep their crown with these new contenders?

To be answered in the next months...

Norway	Nov	YTD	%
Nissan Leaf	206	2.220	56
Mitsubishi I-Miev	55	636	16
Citröen C-Zero	17	487	12
Peugeot iOn	44	400	10
Opel Ampera (a)		123	3
Toyota Prius Plug-In (a)		47	1
Tesla Roadster		33	1
Think City		20	1
Buddy EV		14	0
Mia Electric		10	0
Fisker Karma		4	0
Chevrolet Volt		1	0
TOTAL	322	3.995	100

(a) - September to October sales

Source: BSCB

Netherlands November 2012

The Dutch EV market in November is stable at 391 units, not far from the average 400 monthly sales in 2012.

However, comparing this year's sales with 2011, you can see the market fly from last year's 825 to the current 4.650 units, all thanks to PHEV's like the Opel Ampera that found a sweet spot in dutch fleet sales due to local fiscal incentives.

As a matter of fact, Plug-In Hybrids rule in Netherlands, monopolizing the EV podium, with the Ampera grabbing the pole position with an amazing 53% of market share, followed by the Prius PHEV and finally the Volt at #3.

Even the Fisker Karma shines here with 139 units sold this year, a small feat for the troubled start-up manufacturer.

Netherlands	Nov	YTD	%
Opel Ampera	287	2.456	53
Toyota Prius Plug-In (a)		610	13
Chevrolet Volt	50	284	6
Nissan Leaf	13	252	5
Renault Kangoo ZE (a)		231	5
Renault Twizy	15	187	4
Peugeot iOn	16	172	4
Fisker Karma	1	139	3
Renault Fluence ZE	2	114	2
Citröen C-Zero	5	107	2
Smart Fortwo ED (a)		55	1
Tesla Roadster	2	24	1
Mitsubishi I-Miev		13	0
Think City		6	0
TOTAL	391	4.650	100

(a) - January to September 2012

Source: http://www.autoweek.nl

Germany November 2012

November was a weak month at 239 sales, down 27% over the former month. Despite that, 2012 sales are tripling over last year, with YTD sales mounting to 5.120 units.

Surprisingly, Renault is on top thanks to the quadricycle Twizy, responsible for almost half the sales, with Opel a distant second with only 16% share.

Germany	Nov	YTD	%
Renault Twizy	132	2.350	46
Opel Ampera	42	813	16
Renault Kangoo ZE (a)		564	11
Citröen C-Zero	19	424	8
Nissan Leaf	31	421	8
Peugeot iOn	8	261	5
Renault Fluence ZE (a)		186	4
Mitsubishi I-Miev	6	77	2
Chevrolet Volt	1	24	0
TOTAL	239	5.120

(a) - From January to September 2012

Source: KBA