World Top 10 April 2014

Despite all the New Kids On The Block, the Plug-In version of the Good Ol' Prius is still selling. And it's now #4...

Models - A Whole Lotta Changes

There were 19.477 plug-ins sold last month, representing a 42% jump regarding the same month last year, crossing also the half a million plug-in registrations in the world.

Looking to models ranking, the leader Nissan Leaf was one of the few cars to maintain its position in the ranking, although its performance (3.687 units, worst result of the year) made it loose 1% in share.

The Outlander PHEV recovered the Second Place, surpassing the still-recovering-from-March-sales Model S, while behind them the Chevy Volt and Prius Plug-In changed positions for #4, with the japanese winning for now, but with just 41 units separating them, anything can happen. 

Behind these, #6 BYD Qin (910 units, new personal best) distanced itself a bit from the #7 Ford Fusion Energi and #8 BMW i3.

And finally, two new models in the last two positions of the ranking, the Chery QQ3 EV benefits from the increased demand of electric cars in China to climb at #9, while the Volkswagen e-Up! finally appears in the Top 10, after several months in #11.

Pl	WORLD	April	YTD	%	'13Pl
1	Nissan Leaf	3.687	17.296	23	1
2	Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV	2.381	8.228	11	5
3	Tesla Model S	1.476	8.187	11	4
4	Toyota Prius Plug-In	1.998	4.160	8	3
5	Chevrolet Volt (1)	1.803	4.119	8	2
6	BYD Qin	910	3.294	4	40
7	Ford Fusion Energi	753	2.994	4	9
8	BMW i3	797	2.814	4	20
9	Chery QQ3 EV e)	600	2.616	3	11
10	Volkswagen e-Up!	693	2.311	3	18
	TOTAL	19.477	76.230

Manufacturers - Toyota climbs to #4 

In the Manufacturers ranking, Mitsubishi benefits from Tesla's bad performance to win some margin and secure the YTD #2.

Further down the ranking, Toyota climbed two positions to #4 at the expenses of Chevrolet and Ford, this last had a less-than-stellar month (1.451 units), losing contact with the previous two contenders.

The #7 BYD continues to improve with yet another sales record (Now at 1.172 units/month), while Renault is slowly recovering (1.170 units, best result of the year).

In #9 we have BMW (804 units), wainting to grow significantly in May (US introduction of the i3 and landing of the i8 in several markets), while the #10 position now goes to Chery, taking credit for the increased demand of plug-ins in China.

Pl	WORLD	April	YTD	%	'13Pl
1	Nissan	3.689	17.298	23	1
2	Mitsubishi	2.606	9.756	13	3
3	Tesla	1.476	8.187	11	5
4	Toyota	2.067	6.427	8	4
5	Chevrolet	1.900	6.369	8	2
6	Ford	1.451	5.825	8	7
7	BYD	1.172	4.175	5	11
8	Renault	1.170	3.650	5	6
9	BMW	804	2.821	4	13
10	Chery e)	600	2.753	4	9

(1) - Includes Holden Volt, Opel and Vauxhall Ampera;

e) - Estimate


Questions for May

1 - Which model will be #4? And #7? And #10?

2 - Who will improve their sales records?

3 - Can the Model S fight back and reach #2?

4 - Which manufacturer will be #4?

5 - Can Ford regroup with Toyota and Chevrolet?

Read More

Markets Roundup April 2014

BMW i3 preparing to be delivered in an orderly fashion 

BMW i3 - A Success Story?

I had big reservations on the success of the little BMW i3, i thought it was overpriced (42.000$ for a Supermini!), and above all, too un-BMW for people to relate to it.

But sales are brisk, with a regular presence in the World EV Top 10, leading BMW to increase production to meet demand, and the Little Electric Car with Hot Hatch Genes isn't yet selling in the two major EV markets (USA and Japan).

It is #1 in four countries (Germany, Portugal, Czech Republic and Poland), but it also has other meritable positions elsewhere (Presumed #2 in the UK, #2 in Spain, Belgium and Austria, #3 in Switzerland and Italy), and i've been told that it's happening a curious fact: People that never thought in buying a regular BMW are now going  to the separate "i" dealerships to know more about it, so this might be a great move from the german automaker,  catching a new demographic outside it's traditional (*Cough* Tossers *Cough*) one.


 







Trends in the G7 
Besides the slow return of the French market, growing for the third consecutive time (1.257 units), we register the Outlander PHEV return to form in the Netherlands, winning for the first time this year the leadership in the global market and leading the local EV Share to rise to 4,22%, in Norway,the market is Back to Earth 2020, before the arrival of the e-Golf and new jump to uncharted territory (20% EV Share?).

The German Spaceship is gaining momentum (0,33% vs 0,23% EV share last year), with the Outlander PHEV threatening the homeboys to give them a run for its money. 

China is another giant slowly waking up (0,12% vs 0,08% in '13), with monthly sales going above the 2.000 units, propelled by the ever-improving BYD Qin.


UK: The 8th G?

Last year the UK plug-in market sold 3.730 units, approximately half of the German sales, the 7th largest market in '13, but thanks to a rapid rise in registrations (The EV share is now at 0,26%, vs 0,16% last year), the British EV market (2.264 units in four months) is closing in on the smaller G7's (France and Germany) and separating itself form the rest of the pack (Sweden is the #9 largest market, with 1.285 units), so one wonders:

Will the UK join the Major League? Let's hope so, for now the 2014 data regarding it scarce, with only global sales and the Nissan Leaf numbers available, but these are enough to say that the Sunderland-built car is responsible for half the sales here (1.038 units) and it's going for a new yearly record, maybe doubling last year numbers (1.812 in '13).   

Other Markets

Canada got a new sales record, with 394 units sold, just like Austria (171 registrations), Sweden (467) and Slovenia, with 7 units sold in April, five of them were Tesla Model S(!)...

But the prize for Landing with a Bang goes for the Outlander PHEV in New Zealand, selling 41 units in its first month, which is almost as much as all the plug-ins that had ever been sold there! (44, for the record)


Questions for May

1 - Where will be beaten the next sales records?

2 - Who will be #1 in Norway? And in Germany?

3 - Will the Outlander PHEV reach again the global #1 in Netherlands?

4 - Will the Qin reach the 1.000 registrations?

5 - Will Tesla make a comeback and reach #1's?

6 - How many #1's will the Outlander PHEV collect?

Read More