UK September 2016 (Top 5)

"Move out of my way, Tesla!" - Seems to say the diminutive orange Bully Bulldog

No Alarms and No Surprises

Over 31.000 plug-ins were sold in the first three Quarters of the year, up 45% YoY, down from the three digit growth rates of last year, but with Q3 growing faster than Q2, one can say that, for the moment, Brexit wasn't a cause for alarm regarding EV Sales, in fact, since then  market share climbed to around 1.4%, a new all-time record.

Looking at the models ranking, there's really no surprises, Britain's most popular plug-ins remained in their seats, with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV still holding the leadership, despite a 17% sales drop regarding the same period last year, with share dropping 4% over the last post, in June.

In the remaining podium seats, the Mercedes C350e lost a bit of momentum, dropping 2% in share, while reversely, the Third Placed Nissan Leaf recovered some stamina, recovering 2% share, to 11%, just 2% less than the Mercedes.

The BMW 330e is stable in Fourth and handicapped by production constraints (BMW doesn't even bother to make a 330e station wagon), so it is unable to go after the Mercedes midsize offering.

The Tesla Model S holds on to the Fifth Spot, but probably not for long, as the BMW i3 is profiting from the 33kWh version to jump positions and with less than 100 units separating them, it will be a question of time until the German Hot Hatch climbs to Fifth.

In the manufacturers ranking, Mitsubishi is still ahead of the pack, with 23% share, but the lead over the increasingly menacing BMW (17%) has been going down significantly, while Mercedes (14%) is defending its Third spot from Nissan (13%).

Pl	UK	Sep. 16	YTD	%	Pos. '15
1	Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV	1.270	7.770	23	1
2 3	Mercedes C350e Nissan Leaf	672 699	4.219 3.729	13 11	N/A 2
4 5	BMW 330e Tesla Model S	558 364	2.576 1.896	8 6	N/A 8

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China New Models - October 2016

In October we have two new models, the first is a sharp hatchback from Changan and the second is Chery's long awaited step into the sedan market.

Changan Benni EV - This sporty looking hatch is the brand's new offering for the EV hatchback class (Think Toyota Yaris), design is always subjective, but for me it is the best looking small EV Made in China ever, its 67 hp engine allows it to reach 120 kms/h top speed, so its no slouch on the highway, too bad the range is just 150 kms...Aside from range, this is one of those easy-as-candy selling models, so despite only delivering 15 units in its first month in the market, it will surely surpass its Eado EV bigger brother as Changan's best selling plug-in. 

Sales Target: 1.000 units/month

Chery Arrizo 7 PHEV - There was a time when Chery was the main driving force behind EV's in China, with the basic QQ EV allowing it to the best selling brand from 2011 to 2013, however, the introduction of the BYD Qin in late 2013 signaled a seismic change in the local market, with sales shooting up and regular cars taking over the top places in the ranking. After three long years, Chery finally responded to these trends, by launching a plug-in hybrid version of its good-looking sedan, the Arrizo 7. Despite joining a hot class, the 9.2 kWh battery and 50 kms electric range are rather forgettable specs, when compared with the SAIC e550 (11.8 kWh and 58 kms) or the current star, the BYD Qin (13 kWh and 70 kms range). Still, the 172 units registered in its landing month bode well for the future.  

Sales Target: 1.000 units/month

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