Europe September 2017

Tesla does 1-3 in (near) record month

The European passenger plug-in market returned from the holiday season with fully charged batteries, growing almost a third (+32%) regarding the same period last year, by registering some 33.700 units, just a whisker below the all-time record of December 2015 (33.827) which, let’s not forget, was inflated by fiscal changes that happened in the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark in January ‘16.

This growth is even more significant against the backdrop of a stagnating (-2%) automotive market in Europe, making plug-ins the fastest growing segment in the Old Continent.

Looking at PEV share, September hit a record 2.2% share, pulling the year-to-date share further up, now at 1.8%.

In September, Tesla did its usual last-month-of-quarter peak performance, but this time the tide was higher than usual, with the Model S registering its best result in 18 months, stealing for the first time this year the Best Seller award from the Renault Zoe, and at the same time, the Model X scored a record result, all while the VW e-Golf performed its third personal best in just four months.

Interestingly, the two Best Selling ICE models in Europe (VW Golf and Renault Clio) have their plug-in counterparts (e-Golf and Zoe) reaching the Top 5. Expect this to become a trend, once more and more mainstream buyers, more risk-averse, join the EV market.

Looking at the Monthly Models Ranking:

#1 Tesla Model S – It had been 30 months since the last time the Californian wore the Best Seller scepter in Europe, but September brought boatloads of S’s to Europe and in consequence, deliveries were up 50% in September, to 2.527 units, thus winning #1 status. It appears the Model 3 reveal not only didn’t hurt sales, but actually helped it, as many buyers preferred not to wait and buy now the older model, instead of waiting for ages for the Model 3 to cross The Pond. Looking at individual countries, Norway’s contribution is undisputed (1007 deliveries, best result in over two years), but the Netherlands (310 deliveries, best result in 18 months) and Germany (226) were also heavy contributors, in a generally positive month throughout the Continent for the Sports Sedan. Looking ahead, expect deliveries to return to more regular levels, that is, unless Norway does put forward the “Tesla Tax”...

#2 Renault Zoe – The French hatchback had a rather disappointing September month, growing only 23% YoY, to 2.306 units, and losing for the first time this year the Best Seller of the Month trophy. Deliveries were expected to be higher, especially considering there is a three to four month waiting list to be filled, so there is room for Renault to increase production. As for market individual performances, besides the usual good result at home (1267 units, up 56%), there were also high numbers in countries like Germany (278 units), and Sweden (113 deliveries, new record).    

#3 Tesla Model X – The Ugly Duckling of the Tesla stable had an opportunity to shine in September, growing 42% YoY to 2.137 units and ending the month in the podium. With record sales in important markets like Norway (996 deliveries) and Netherlands (244), the SUV-Minivan-that-thinks-is-a-sports-car is profiting from incoming improvements (eg, second and third row seats are now foldable…) and might start to leave the long shadow of the Model S older brother.   

#4 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – The Japanese SUV sales were down 11% YoY, to 2.080 registrations, but despite this setback, the Mitsubishi model continues to profit from its unique mix of space, AWD, range (50 kms NEDC) and affordability (40.000€), that makes him popular in markets like in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Iceland or Germany. In the long run, it is not certain that the Japanese SUV can keep up with the general growing sales trend and stay among Europe’s top sellers.

#5 Volkswagen e-Golf – The range increase of the German hatchback coincided with a massive spike in demand, with record breaking performances almost every month, pulling registrations up to 2.041 deliveries last month. With a four months-long waiting list, Volkswagen has enough breathing room to continue improving its results, and we might even see it win the Best Seller trophy soon. Will it be in October? Looking at its largest markets, Norway is still the backbone of demand, with 949 units being delivered there, but with Germany (494, new record), Netherlands (121 units, new personal best) and Austria (111 registrations, guess what? Also new record), with other markets, helping along, the e-Golf is set to become a more spread out vehicle and not just a “Norway thing”. With 2016 sales (6.678 units) already surpassed and the record (11.170 sales, in 2015) not that far off, 2017 will surely be the best year ever for the all-electric Golf. Oh, the wonders of increased range…

 

YTD Ranking – BMW i3 recovers Second Place, Teslas and e-Golf shine

A lot to talk about in the YTD ranking, if the Renault Zoe remains stable in the lead, the remaining positions had plenty of changes, starting with the BMW i3 (2025 units, best month since March) recovering the Silver medal from the Nissan Leaf, now entering on the “sunset phase”.

With the Outlander PHEV less than a thousand units behind, we might even see Mitsubishi’s SUV drop the Leaf to Fourth before December.

Other models on the rise are the Tesla Model S & X, with the first climbing to #5 and the second to #8, while the VW e-Golf joined the Top 10 at #9 and could reach as high as the Sixth position by year end, maybe even a podium place next year.

In the second half of the Top 20, we see the Golf GTE and Volvo XC90 PHEV hitting year best performances, and a hot seller is bubbling up, with the #29 BMW 530e (679 registrations) climbing one position and looking to climb a few more in the future.

Outside the ranking, the Streetscooter Work delivery van deserves a special mention, having registered 852 units in September, thus becoming the Best Selling model in its category that month.

Is the DHL-owned company starting to be disruptive in the delivery van class?

Looking at the manufacturers ranking, BMW (20%) is seated at the Iron Throne, followed by Renault (13%, down 1%) in Second Place, while a recovery-mode Volkswagen (13%, up 1%) is now firm in Third Place, less than 2000 units behind the French manufacturer.

Will we see VW reaching Silver next month?

Pl.	Europe	September	YTD	%
1	Renault Zoe	2306	23938	11
2	BMW i3	2025	14825	7
3	Nissan Leaf	1387	14809	7
4	Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV	2080	13963	7
5	Tesla Model S	2526	10580	5
6	VW Passat GTE	1264	9520	4
7	Mercedes GLC350e	1191	9260	4
8	Tesla Model X	2136	8774	4
9	VW e-Golf	2041	7915	4
10	BMW 330e	1289	7862	4
11	BMW 225xe Act. Tourer	1196	7804	4
12	Audi A3 e-Tron	856	6495	3
13	Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV	930	5735	3
14	VW Golf GTE	976	5568	3
15	Mercedes C350e	782	5231	2
16	BMW X5 40e	547	4476	2
17	Hyundai Ioniq Electric	552	4352	2
18	Kia Soul EV	502	3829	2
19	BMW 530e	679	3508	2
20	Nissan e-NV200 / Evalia	379	3279	2
	Others	8072	42424	18
	TOTAL	33716	214147	100