Top 5 posts on EV Sales

To celebrate the end of the decade and the 7 years of this blog, i have decided to signal the five most popular posts so far, by chronological order:

- In May 2016, i wondered if Fuel Cells were going to have a future, on an article called "FCEV's: Fools Cells?", and now looking back, it looks quite prescient, as i was already ruling out FCEV's on regular cars and saying SUVs, Buses and Trucks were a chance where Fuel Cells were losing to BEVs, as these were evolving faster;

- In March 2017, i made a rare cooperation with another writer, in this case the Inside EVs author Assaf Oron, on the article Top 10 Countries in the Global EV Revolution: 2016 Edition;

- In April 2018, the Norway March 2018 post celebrated the 56%PEV share of that month, the first time plugin registrations surpassed those of unplugged vehicles, leading me to be (too) optimistic and predicting diesel sales to be dead in Norway by 2020. Looking at that month Best Sellers, the Nissan Leaf was red hot, more than doubling the sales of its main competitors...So much has happened since then, hasn't it?

- In January 2019, the Global Top 20 December 2018 post highlighted another record month (286.000 units), with the Star of the Month being the Tesla Model 3, doubling the sales of the runner-up BAIC EU-Series and confirming itself as the undisputed leader of the EV World. Funny enough,  11 months later, these two are also leading the way...A

- Finally, in May 2019,  the China April 2019 post said that the Chinese PEV market was cooling, having grown just 34%...Oh, how times have changed, right? At the time, i was expecting some 7% PEV share by December and over 10% in 2020...Oh, how times have changed, right? With the current PEV share struggling to end 2019 at 5,4% (4,2% in 2018), 2020 seems to be much less promising than before, but still, i would imagine the second half of the year to see the return to two-digit growth rates, with the final 2020 PEV share ending north of 6%.

2019 in Review - 2020 EVs

We start the 2019 review by saying goodbye to the Chevrolet Volt, nine years and 180.000 units later, the extended range plugin was an early pioneer, having been the world's Best Selling Plugin in 2012, and the runner-up in 2011 and 2013, but after the early peak of 2012 (25.370 units), sales have started to slow down, with the GM product losing contact with the first places, something that the heavily revised Volt II of 2016, despite surpassing the 2012 record, by registering 28.295 units, also failed to do, with GM's decision to not sell the 2nd generation Volt as Opel Ampera in Europe, not helping at all on the hatchback sales career.

To worsen things, the new generation was only produced for three years, with the first half of 2019 signaling the end of the EREV, with GM's supposed replacement, the Bolt EV, failing to beat the 2016 score of the Volt.

With both models, the Volt and Bolt, being quite different, it is bizarre that GM decided to kill the former when the vehicle still had a couple of years ahead and was profitable, but then again, bizarre decisions is what GM management seems to be specialist, like the refusal to sell the Gen 2 Volt in Europe, just at the time that PHEVs were all the rage in Europe...And i won't even ask why they haven't made the Volt MPV5 prototype!

Anyway, we say farewell to the pioneer Chevrolet Volt, an exciting, if cramped inside, electric vehicle, and a reference for any PHEV out there.   

But back at 2019, the biggest events were:

- The coming of age of Tesla and its Model 3, after finally winning its first Manufacturers trophy in 2018, ending a three year rule of BYD, the Model 3 sweapt also that year Models trophy, 2019 cleared any doubts on wether Tesla was here to stay, with the American maker repeating both titles again, but this time with a huge 100.000 units advantage over the runner-ups. And with the Model Y, Semi, Roadster and Cybertruck on the pipeline, it looks that Tesla has at least the next two titles (2020 & '21) in the bag; 

- China's subsidy changes were an earthquake in the local plugin market, originating a half-year sales rush, with the consequent fall of a cliff in Q3 and a stabilization in the doldrums in Q4. But more than a sales slump, the biggest long term consequence is the dry up of many subsidy-dependent models, while higher end nameplates, new and more competitive models from the local OEMs, like the GAC Aion S, along with quota-related introductions from foreign makers and profiting from the new environment to gain visibility, while Tesla paved the way for a strong 2020 in China, where it aims to be not only the best selling foreign maker, but also to become the first foreign OEM able to run with the best of the local brands;

- A consequence of the previous point is SAIC's lottery win with the Baojun E-Series, after a discrete career before the subsidies cut, the tiny two seater became one of the few small EVs to keep access to subsidies, propelling it to an unprecedented popularity among fleets, like car-sharing companies, becoming an unexpected bonus to the solid case that the OEM was already presenting, as it is the first Chinese EV maker to sell in (relatively) large amounts outside its domestic market, with the MG ZS EV crossover and the Maxus van, besides keeping a strong lineup of plugins across the range. If in previous years SAIC looked to be the less promising of the Chinese Big 3 (BYD, BAIC and SAIC), because it was the one to best adapt to the new environment, it is now the one to look for in China, along with the smaller GAC.

2020 EVs

Thanks to eGear.be, here is a list of what is coming and what i think of them:

Audi e-Tron Sportback - Finally some interesting looks to Audi's electric tank;

BMW iX3 - A meh! effort from BMW, a BEV version of its X3 SUV, with some middle of the road specs. The Mercedes EQC looks nicer;

FIAT 500e - With the VW EV triplets coming en force in 2020, the Italian brand had to do something , if it didn't wanted its lunch (A-segment) eaten by the German conglomerate. So in the Geneva Auto Show, they are promising a brand new 500e, with a 70.000 units target production. Unrealistic? Let's hope not, if the specs and prices are attractive, it could become a huge hit, and the automaker really needs it, because the VW triplets will pressure the other players in the city car category and FIAT without city cars in Europe...Is basically nothing.

Ford Mustang Mach-E - The reinvention of Ford? This is an OEM that seems to have seen what lied ahead (the management change surely helped), and seems to go full EV now. This new EV is really compelling and will be interesting to see the public reaction to it;

Honda e - The cutest car of 2020 and my favorite City EV, alongside the BMW i3. But that price, mmm...Will sell, but at a fraction of the i3;

Lexus UX300e - A Premium EV with an air-cooled battery, 2WD and some 300 kms range...Enough said?

Mazda MX-30 - It would be an interesting niche vehicle to add to a more mainstream EV from Mazda. But as the first mass-produced Mazda EV...Too niche.

Mercedes EQV - It won't go into the Best Sellers table, but nonetheless, it will be an interesting addition to the market, as there's nothing quite like it;

Mini Cooper Electric - After the BMW i3 being the only luxury EV on the market, the Group finally allows to launch a Mini EV, but only as a 3 door and with lower specs, and a lower price, so that it doesn't steal the i3 thunder. So yeah, it will be niche, but a good one;

Opel Corsa EV / Peugeot 208 EV - Good specs, one more techy (208), another more sporty (Corsa), both will be strong contenders to the Zoe lead in the small EV segment. Both combined could even reach 100.000 units in 2020;

Peugeot 2008 EV - Europe's Kia Niro EV. If PSA has enough batteries, it could be a huge success and reach some 50k units;

Polestar 2 - A worthy competitor to the Model 3, but most of the public won't notice it. 20k units would already be ok, 40k would be a great success;

Porsche Taycan - The only EV Elon Musk thought of being worthy to compete with Tesla. Which is saying a lot. Those 20k units allocated for 2020 could be much higher if Porsche wanted...

Tesla Model Y - Tesla Model 3, meet your nemesis. While production (200k?) of the Model Y won't be enough to displace its sibling from the Global Best Seller throne in 2020, 2021 should see it succeed to the Model 3 as the most popular EV in the World.

VW e-Up! / Seat e-Mii / Skoda Citigo EV - The triplets are the first city EVs with respectable specs and prices. Enough said. Will the triplets reach 60k units in 2020?

Volvo XC40 EV - Cousin of the Polestar 2, but with higher sales potential, because it is an SUV and Volvo is not a startup;

VW ID.3 - Along with the Tesla Model Y, the most important launch of the year. Hell, i would even say that it is the most important EV model ever, that does not wear a Tesla badge. The shape of the future of electric mobility will depend on the success of this model, that should easily surpass the 100.000 units in 2020.

Global Top 20 November 2019

Models: Chinese models down, Chinese models up

The plugin market crisis has stabilized, with the registrations dropping 26% YoY in November, to some 177.000 units, with the subsidy-related sales drop in China keeping the market down. 

This time, both powertrains were down, and almost in the same proportion (-26% BEVs vs -25% PHEVs), but nevertheless, BEVs are still positive in the 2019 numbers (+35%), something that can't be said about PHEVs (-8%).

As a result of these drops, the PEV share in November was 2,2% last month, keeping the 2019 PEV share at 2,2% (1,6% for BEVs alone), maybe December can bring a slight increase in the final number?

Looking at the models ranking, the Tesla Model 3 continues to reign supreme, more than doubling the result of the runner-up, while the #2 BAIC EU-Series has enough distance to keep the silver medal safe throughout December, something that the BYD Yuan can't say, as the #4 Nissan Leaf is getting closer every month.

The first position changes happened at the end of the Top 5, with the tiny Baojun E-Series climbing to #5 and the BMW 530e/Le twins reaching #6, with the German luxury sedan becoming at the same time the Best Selling PHEV, surpassing the two times winner (2014 & '15) Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, that is seeing the chance to win its third trophy slip through the fingers.

With a number of Chinese models having seen its sales dry up, there were changes happening as a consequence:

- The Toyota Prius PHEV and Tesla Model X jumped two positions each, to #11 and #12, respectively, with the Californian sports-SUV hitting a year-best off-peak performance (3.392 units) last month, so we could see it go after the Japanese hatchback in December, and maybe even climb another position in the end;

- Both the BYD Tang PHEV and Chery eQ are tied in #11, with the #13 Toyota Prius PHEV only 48 units behind;

- The Geely Emgrand EV was up to #16, and the Great Wall Ora R1 also climbed one position, to #18, but December could see it go down, because...

- The #20 Tesla Model S had its best off-peak performance of the year (2.067 units), so it could have a shot at the reaching the next two places, but the biggest threat is the rising star (5.538 units last month) GAC Aion S, #21 with 23.666 units, that is sure to join the ranking in December, with the question being where will it end: #19? #18? #17?

A final mention for the VW e-Golf, that might end the year in #13, which would be a great score for the German hatchback.

Interestingly, two of the Top 10 models in November (#5 GAC Aion S - 5.538 units & #7 SAIC MG eZS - 3.974 units) belong to models outside the ranking, so expect these two models to be strong candidates for a Top 20 presence next year.

Manufacturers: Tesla and GAC shine

This month Tesla pulled out its best off-peak month so far, so expect another record month in December, with the Palo Alto maker ending on a high note.

Thanks to an extended lineup, BMW had a good month, registering close to 15.000 units, a new year best, while SAIC had  also a strong month, thanks mainly to the Baojun E-Series and the MG eZS, allowing it to score 15.726 units, a new year best, allowing both makers to go after the #3 BAIC, that is losing charge. 

Toyota was up to #10, while Renault also climbed positions, in this case to #13, with the French maker reaching 4.561 deliveries, its best result since June, and with December set to see the Zoe return to regular sales levels and keep the K-ZE expansion continue, expect Renault to reach (near-)record numbers in the last month of the year.

But the real star in November was GAC, scoring a record performance for the second month in a row (6.048 units), allowing it to jump two positions, to #17, and December could see it climb another two spots to #15.  

Another Chinese brand with ambitions this year is the #21 Dongfeng (30.293 units in 2019), but the #20 Chevrolet is proving to be a strong adversary, so the 1.377 units that separate both, could be enough to keep the American brand in the Top 20.  

Europe November 2019

Was? The Model 3 is eating our lunch? Counter-strike!

The European passenger plug-in market registered some 55,000 registrations in November (+44%), with the Dutch market and plugin hybrids (+80% YoY) to pull the market uo, while BEVs (+23%, lowest growth rate since June ‘18), are waiting for the 2020 flood, leading to an even (53% BEVs / 47% PHEVs vs 64% / 36% YTD) breakdown between both technologies, in November. 

With plugin hybrids picking up speed, PEV’s climbed to 4.6% (2.4% for BEVs alone), pulling the 2019 PEV share to a record 3.3% (2.1% BEVs), above the 2.5% result of 2018.

With the two EV best sellers (Model 3 and Zoe) expected to have strong results in the last month of the year, PHEVs continuing to experience a surge and the Dutch market expected to have an Historic month in December, we should see the European market hit a new record next month.

The big news in November were the big results of several midsize cars, with the leader Tesla Model 3 (7,380 units in December, best off-peak performance for the Californian) working as the ignitor for legacy OEMs finally going all in in plugins, with the BMW 330e jumping to 5th in November, with 2,666 registrations, the model’s third record month in row(!). With the Bavarian suffering the biggest bleed from the Model 3, after all, it was the Bimmer that used to be known for the Ultimate Driving Machine, BMW is going all in for the 330e patch, in order to cut the bleeding, at least until the i4 antidote is not deployed, but even other brands, not so directly impacted by Tesla, like Mercedes and Volvo, are increasing their plugin efforts, with the S/V60 PHEV twins from Volvo reaching 828 registrations last month, while the Mercedes C300e/de twins have also hit 1,207 units, the best result for the three-pointed star midsize plugin since December 2016.  

So, while the Model 3 isn’t creating enough gravitational force to become a black hole, like in the US, it’s strength is forcing the usual suspects to step up their game. Win, win, right?

Looking at the Monthly Models Ranking:

#1 Tesla Model 3– The poster child for electro mobility had its off-peak best month so far in Europe, with 7,380 deliveries, with the Model 3 benefiting from the Dutch EV year end rush and scoring 3,973 units in the Netherlands, but the UK, possibly the only European market not being starved by the Netherlands fever, also helped, as it had some 1,500 deliveries, while the remaining markets somewhat underperformed (452 units in Norway, 231 in Switzerland and 225 in France), affected by the fact that Tesla Netherlands was grabbing every available unit they could get their hands on. With the continuing of the backlog deployment in the UK, and record deliveries expected in the Netherlands, December could see another record month for the Tesla midsizer, even if most of the markets will be still suffering from starvation, which in turn will create (another) deliveries peak in Q1 2020. By the look of it, we should only know the organic demand of the Model 3 in Europe in second quarter of next year, or over a year after the landing of the sports sedan. Amazing, isn’t it?

#2 Renault Zoe– The 3,231 deliveries of November meant falling deliveries (-39%), due to the current skin change, meaning that some countries saw their registrations drop significantly (Germany, only 321 units), but still, enough units were deliveried in key markets (France, 1,866 units, or Italy, 253 registrations) to place it in Second Place. December should see it back into the growth path, with the French hatchback getting ready for a strong start of 2020, and it will need it too, as the Peugeot 208 EV and Opel Corsa EV should start to cast their (small) shadow over the Renault EV in a few months...Will the Zoe get into trouble with those two?

 #3 Volkswagen e-Golf– The evergreen German model hit 2,753 units last month, dropping 11% YoY, which is still a meritable result for a model that was supposed to be in sunset-mode for several months now… and has its sucessor now starting to roll of the Zwickau factory line. It seems VW is going all in into plugins, milking everything it can from its current best selling electric model, even if it isn’t the best EV on the market. Regarding the November performances, the Volkswagen EV main markets were three, with Germany (925), Norway (803) and the UK (300), gobbling most of the deliveries. 

#4 Nissan Leaf – With the 62 kWh version being delivered in volume, the Japanese model hit 2,722 units last month, which is a 42% drop. Worse still, this in the context of a fast growing market... Auch. Will the Nissan BEV be able to leave this downward spiral? Unless Nissan cuts prices significantly, and i am sure by now Nissan has more than enough margin to do it, the Leaf is looking irrelevant and outdated, especially next to a certain VW ID.3 …But back at November performances, the Japanese main markets were the Norway (535 units), the UK (500), The Netherlands (418), France (241) and Sweden (224).

 #5 BMW 330e – The original 330e was launched in Europe in 2015, basically as a compliance PHEV, with a symbolic 7.6 kWh battery, but despite it, it still managed to move some metal, sometimes reaching four-digit performances,  like the record 1,566 units of March ’17, but things have moved on since, and the Model 3 started seriously denting on the Bimmer sales, so the German maker had a change of strategy for the 2nd generation of the plugin hybrid, if the specs continue...Meh, with just 12 kWh on the battery, half of what the BMW X5 PHEV has, the sales/production are really in another level, with the German midsizer scoring a new registrations record for the 3rd time in a row(!) in November, with 2,666 units, becoming last month Best Selling PHEV. How high will the 330e go, it is anyone’s guess (5,000 per month?), but i think in this case the limit will be first found on the demand side...Anyway, in November, their biggest markets were the UK (1,100 units), Germany (416) and Portugal (What tha...Yeah, i know), with 203 registrations. 

    

Looking at the 2019 ranking, if Tesla can already order the 2019 Best Seller party for the Model 3 and Renault can think about finding a place for the silver medal of the Zoe, the 3rd place of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV now seems certain too, as the #4 Nissan Leaf failed to impress in November, ans the distance (1,894 units) now seems insurmountable.

The Japanese hatchback now should worry itself with keeping the 4th spot from the hands wheels of the #5 BMW i3, only 411 units behind.

Below the front runners, the Mini Countryman PHEV scored its best result since March, with 1,691 registrations, allowing it to climb one position, to 8th, while the BMW 530e (1,580 units, best score since March) was also up, to #11, switching positions with its 225xe Active Tourer relative.

BMW had another good month, as the 330e was also on the up, joining the ranking, in #20

The Daimler Group had reasons to smile about, with the Smart Fortwo EV and the E300e/de twins climbed one position, with the tiny two seater going up to #15, while the luxury sedan went up to #16. 

A mention to the #19 Tesla Model S, that registered 855 units, its best off-peak performance this year, while the Model X scored 697 units, also its best off-peak result this year. 

Outside the Top 20, besides the aforementioned good results from several European PHEVs, November brought two other brilliant results, like the popular VW Passat GTE scoring 1,875 units, the model best result of the last 3 years, while the new BMW X5 PHEV scored a record 1,068 units performance in only its second full month on the market, so it seems BMW’s long-range PHEV is set to become another success story for the Bavarian maker. Will we see it become the Best Selling Luxury plugin? 

In the manufacturers ranking, Tesla (18%) is the leader, while last year winner BMW (14%) remains firm in the runner-up spot, ahead of Renault (9%), suffering from a short lineup, while Mitsubishi and Hyundai, stay outside the podium, both with 7% share.

 

China November 2019 (Updated)

GAC Aion S...

Model 3 & the Disciples   

When you find yourself in times of trouble, Model 3 comes to the
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in this hour of darkness it is standing right in front of the
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

With the Chinese plugin market enduring heavy losses, in November it plunged 42% YoY, to 83,000 units, with both powertrain technologies crashing, although BEVs fared a little bit better (only -36%), as the market adjusts to a new, less subsidy-dependent, reality.

In the midst of this adverse environment, October’s PEV share was just 4% (3.5% BEV), dropping the 2019 PEV market share to 5.4% (4.3% for BEVs alone), which is still above the 2018 result (4.2%), but it is significantly lower than the 6.3% peak of last June.

With the subsidy changes last summer, when NEV subsidies were cut off completely for vehicles with less than 250 kms electric range, while those with higher range saw their subsidies halved, the effects of these changes will continue to be felt for a few more months, possibly up until next summer. 

While many models saw their sales dry up, or be significantly impacted, with smaller, cheaper models unable to compensate the subsidy loss, the most expensive end of the market continues to thrive, helping foreign OEMs to increase market share, now at 15%, and even within small EVs there were winners, like is the case of the SAIC Baojun E-Series, that saw its sales jump after the subsidies end, as it was the only model of the A00 category (Smart-like, 2-seater EVs) to keep access to subsidies, winning even last month Best Seller title.

In November, besides the Baojun E-Series win, the highlights were the 5^th position of the SAIC MG ZS EV crossover, a model that Shanghai Auto has high hopes in making it the first Chinese plugin model to sell in significant volumes in overseas markets, so the fact that the MG crossover is making itself noted at home, bodes well for its success elsewhere.

The Tesla Model 3 and its disciples (GAC Aion S and Geely Geometry A) are coming to the rescue of the Chinese market, with these 3 models already representing 16% of the total market last month, thanks to all three models scoring record results last month, as these new generation EVs show the market where to go in order to resume the growth path. 

Interestingly, 4 of the Top 7 sellers in November were models launched this year, which says a lot about the fast-changing evolution of the Chinese market.

Here’s last month Top 5 Best Selling models individual performance:

#1 – Baojun E-Series: With the end of subsidies for most of the small city EVs, unable to reach the minimum 250 kms range, the Baojun E-Series won the lottery, with the Shanghai Auto and General Motors offspring watching its sales jump in the past few months, winning consecutive podium positions, and in November it even managed to beat the BAIC EU-Series and become last month Best Seller, having registered a record 9,809 units last month. The access to the current subsidy, added to its competitive price (CNY 93,900 / USD 14,700) before subsidies, makes it an appealing model for car-sharing companies, as well as other kinds of fleets. 

#2 – BAIC EU-Series: The electric sedan this time was relegated to the runner-up spot in November, with the 6,258 units of last month being its worst result since April. Is the Beijing Auto model losing charge? Despite an attractive design and specs (215 hp, 416 kms / 260 mi NEDC, US $32,500), the Beijing Auto is starting to look dated, next to newcomers like the the EVangelist Tesla Model 3 and the Californian Chinese disciples, the GAC Aion S and Geely Geometry A.

#3 – GAC Aion S: Things look great for the Aion S, because the sleek sedan continues to improve its performance every passing month, having scored yet another record, with 5,538 units, reaching the 3rd place last month, its 5th Top 5 spot in a row. And if we add the 865 units of the badge-engineered Toyota iA5 EV, that is nothing else than a Aion S with a Toyota badge, the GAC sedan registered 6,403 units, which is higher than the 2nd placed BAIC EU-Series... But back to the Aion S, beyond the stylish (and aerodynamic - 0.245cd) looks, this new model bears some impressive specs: a 59 kWh CATL NCM 811 battery, 510 km / 318 mi NEDC range and Level 2 driving aids, but the real killer is the price: Around 180,000 CNY / $26,000. Before subsidies. 

#4 – Tesla Model 3: The success of the Tesla sedan in China is starting to materialize, in November the sports sedan scored a record 4,658 units, allowing it another Top 5 presence. With the GF3 ramping up, one can imagine the Californian becoming a familiar face next year in this Top 5, and with the Tesla having “Diana Ross” levels of customer attraction, who knows how high it can go...

#5 – SAIC MG ZS EV: The production of the compact crossover has been steadily ramping up, and last month it reached a record 3,687 units, allowing it to achieve its first monthly Top 5 spot. While the MG model has a middle of the road specs (45 kWh battery, 262 kms / 163 mi WLTP range, 110 kW motor), it compensates with a spacious and well apointed interior. With Shanghai Auto betting heavily on its electric crossover to finally get a hold in foreign markets, the ZS EV will also have to succeed in its domestic market, in order to gain scale and profitability. Will they make it?

...And Toyota iA5: spot the differences. And say which looks better.

  

2019 ranking

The market is now adapting to the new reality, with many former best sellers now witnessing symbolic sales, while a new generation of EVs is rising.

We’ll start with the position changes, with the Geely Emgrand EV climbing to the 6^th place, while both the Great Wall Ora R1 and BMW 530Le surpassed the Roewe Ei5, allowing them to reach the 9^th and 10^thpositions, respectively. 

But the Climber of the Month was once again the GAC Aion S, jumping 2 positions, to #12, with both the GAC and another of The Supremes element, the Model 3, now aiming for a Top 10 position this year, which would be a great starting point for a Top 5 (Podium?) spot in 2020.

The other member of the “Model 3 & the Disciples” band, the Geely Geometry A, finally pulled out a decent performance, thanks to a record 2,465 units, allowing it to be #7 in November, with the streamlined becoming for the first time the best seller among their Geely stable mates. Is Geely’s Cinderella finally ready to blossom?

There are other new players taking the opportunity to disrupt the market, like the MG ZS EV, 4^th in November, with 3,687 units, that with a little of luck, can still join the ranking next month. 

Outside the Top 20, a mention also to the ramp-up of the Renault K-ZE, aka Kwid EV, now at 1,382 units, in only its 3^rd month on the market, while among the landing models, we have two models already scoring 500-plus performances, with the Audi Q2L e-Tron registering 785 units, while GAC sold 865 Aion S to Toyota, that the Japanese maker rebadged as iA5 EV. Why? EV quotas, with the Corolla/Levin PHEV twins not really setting the market on fire (500 units each, in November), Toyota has to resort to this subterfuge in order to win NEV credits, so the Aion S is a piggy-bank for GAC in two ways, not only it is a popular EV by itself, but it is also an easy sell to car makers in need of NEV credits, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see in a few months Aion S rebadges for Honda, Fiat, Mitsubishi, insert name…

Looking at the manufacturers ranking, BYD (17%, down 1%) is losing momentum, while below it, BAIC (13%, up 1%) is getting closer, and the #3 SAIC (11%, up 1%) is benefitting from the Baojun E-Series and MG ZS EV to gain share. 

Outside the podium, Geely (5%) is hanging on, but has to keep a close eye on Great Wall and GAC, both with 4% share, in order to keep the 4^th position.