Saturday, June 29, 2013

World Top 10 May 2013

Mitsubishi EV sales are on hold 
Models - All the same 

May left the ranking like it was last month, with the exception of the bottom place, where Renault recovered the tenth place for the Twizy.

Despite this entry in the Top 10, the french EV has two models following its small tail, with the #11 Chery QQ3 EV and the #12 Ford Fusion Energi less than 100 units behind it, so a lot can happen in June...

Pure electrics continue on the rebound, with BEV share increasing another point to 62% of the market.

PlModelsYTD
1Nissan Leaf15.728
2Tesla Model S8.897
3Chevrolet Volt (1)8.628
4Toyota Prius PHEV6.782
5Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV4.307
6Renault Zoe3.412
7Mitsubishi I-Miev (2)2.790
8Renault Kangoo ZE2.514
9Ford C-Max Energi2.027
10Renault Twizy1.267


Manufacturers - Mitsubishi Suffers

In the Manufacturers ranking, Nissan holds its leadership with 24% share, now followed by Tesla at 14% and Chevrolet, with 13%.

Mitsubishi has been hampered by batteries issues and drops to fourth, losing 2% share on the way to 13%.

Behind the seven major players, figures become a bit sketchy as one doesn't know for sure how the chinese brands are behaving, but taking in account confirmed numbers, BYD switches positions with Chery, with the e6 maker now #8, leaving its compatriot in #9 and Smart rounding up the table in #10.


PlBrandsYTD
1Nissan15.728
2Tesla8.907
3Chevrolet8.628
4Mitsubishi8.446
5Renault7.804
6Toyota7.178
7Ford3.945
8BYD1.277
9Chery (e)1.250
10Smart759


(1) - Includes Holden Volt, Opel and Vauxhall Ampera;
(2) - Includes Citröen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn.
(e) - Estimate


Questions for June

Can the Volt family reach #2?

And can the Zoe reach #5?

Is it possible for the Kangoo ZE to remove the Mitsu I-Miev from the seventh place?

Who gets this time the tenth place in the models ranking?

In the manufacturers ranking, can Chevrolet reach #2?

How many more positions will Mitsubishi lose?

Can BYD hold on to #8?

Friday, June 28, 2013

Markets Roundup May 2013

Rear of a black Renault Zoe
The Rise of Zoe - World Edition

This month the french hatchback started to arrive in significant numbers to countries other than France and that resulted in three #1's for Renault, in May the Zoe topped the EV charts for the first time in Spain, Italy and Austria, adding that to the top spot it already had in France and brilliants #2 in Germany and #3 (And best selling BEV) in the Netherlands, Renault's supermini recovered the top spot (both monthly and YTD) in Europe, relegating the Nissan Leaf to second place. In June the UK-made Leaf's will start being delivered, so it's to be expected that the japanese hatch bounces back then.









Trends in the G7 (Great Seven)

The US market represented 71% of all plug-in sales in May, some 20% above the usual share, because the japanese market sank this month, with just 924 units, which represented just 21% of sales in February, the causes for this terrible performance was not only Mitsubishi's battery problems, but also the Nissan Leaf selling below expectations (Just 708 units).

Despite this, the japanese EV share is still above last year's (0,84% vs 0,77%), just like in six of the seven major markets, with a welcome recovery of the dutch market, now slightly above '12 share (1,104% vs 1,103%). Even Germany, the only country with an lower EV share in '13, is slowly recovering and it's now standing at 0,14%.

Ruining our month theme, here are the e6 taxis involved in the Hong Kong deal 
Other Markets

Italy (165 units), Austria (53 units) and Hong Kong (55 units) registered the best selling months of the year, with the asian market scoring also an all-time record, thanks to a BYD Taxi fleet deal, and already breaking the sales record of 2012 (89 units), ending May with a total of 99 EV's sold in 2013.

Speaking of record breaking, the other country to beat this year the sales record is tiny Iceland, that already sold 21 plug-in cars this year, beating last year's record of 18 units, with the Toyota Prius Plug-In also beating the 2012 record for best selling model (Mitsu I-Miev - 7 units) by 2 units, establishing for now the new record in 9 units sold. Small numbers, so plenty of space for improvement here.

Chevrolet Spark EV painted in black: Will the GM model be more than a compliance car?
Questions for June

Will the Chevrolet Spark EV beat all compliance cars in its sales debut?

Can the Nissan Leaf recover the lead in the Euro market?

Will the Zoe reach #1 in Germany?

Can Volvo recover the top spot in its home market?


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Japan May 2013

Black Mitsu Outlander PHEV
Leaf in Number One Again Edition

Taking profit of Mitsubishi's battery problems, the Nissan Leaf recovered the top spot in Japan, thanks to 708 units sold in May, accounting for the majority of plug-in sales this month, that settled  for a meager 924 units, the worst result since 2011 for the japanese EV market.

By brands, Mitsubishi is number one with 57%, thanks to a diversified range, followed at distance by Nissan with 39%.

PlJapanMayYTD%Pl '12
1Nissan Leaf7084.641392
2Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
4.30737N/A
3Mitsubishi I-Miev6297683
4Mitsubishi Minicab Miev4783774
5Mitsubishi Minicab Miev Truck75124N/A
6Toyota Prius Plug-In e)10050041

TOTAL92411.773100

e) Estimate

Source: evn.blog.eonet.jp, Manufacturers

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Hong Kong May 2013

A black-painted frog Nissan Leaf

First Post Edition

We welcome a new ranking, Hong Kong, comparing with the rest of China, this autonomous territory has a very different automotive landscape, with foreign brands taking the bulk of sales.

As such, the small local EV market also reflects that, with the Renault-Nissan Alliance dominating sales, with the exception of May, where a 45 taxi fleet deal including BYD put its e6 model on the top spot.

As a result, the Renault Fluence ZE dropped to second place with 35 units, the Leaf is now third with 18 sales and finally in fourth place, there's the I-Miev with just one unit sold.

Finally, the EV share now stands at a respectable 0,52%, more than doubling last year share of 0,21%, when only the Leaf was sold here.

PlHong KongMayYTD%'12Pl
1BYD e6454545N/A
2Renault Fluence ZE103535N/A
3Nissan Leaf
18181
4Mitsubishi I-Miev
11N/A
TOTAL5599

Source: HKMTA, Manufacturers

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Italy May 2013

A Black Twizy on the sidewalk

The Rise of Zoe - Italian Edition

Finally a good month for the Italian EV market, with 165 units sold it's the best month this year and one of the best performances ever, which lead their share to improve to a still shy 0,07%, almost half of what was in the end of last year (0,13%).

The Renault Zoe jumped to #1 in May and #2 YTD, making this one of the countries where the french supermini got a warmest welcome.

In third comes the Smart Fortwo ED, climbing five positions on the '12 performance, relegating the Nissan Leaf to the fourth position.

PlItalyMayYTD%'12Pl
1Renault Twizy51180421
2Renault Zoe809021N/A
3Smart Fortwo ED2269168
4Nissan Leaf1158143
5Renault Fluence ZE11747
6Peugeot iOn
725
7Tesla Roadster
2010
8Citröen C-Zero
104

TOTAL165425100

Source: Manufacturers, greenstart.it

Friday, June 21, 2013

Germany May 2013

A black Smart Fortwo ED Brabus Edition 

The Rise of Zoe - German Edition

With 344 units sold in May, the German EV market went down 34% regarding April, leaving the german EV share at 0,14%, below the 0,19% mark registered in the end of 2012.

In the models ranking we've got the Renault Twizy collecting its second monthly #1 with 133 units sold, enabling it to rise to second place YTD, below the Smart Fortwo ED, now a full scale production model.

The Renault Zoe climbs to #5 YTD, thanks to a brilliant second place in May and the next months should see it climb even further, maybe hitting #3 YTD before the summer ends. This is an important market for the french BEV, after its home market, this should be the most important country numbers-wise, with sales predicted to hit 150-250 units a month.

Because this year every month has several changes in the ranking, strange things happen in it, like this month, the Opel Ampera, despite delivering one of the best performances in the last few months (#3 with 37 units), dropped one position YTD to #6.

In the brands ranking, Renault recovered the #1 spot, with 32% share, relegating Smart to #2, with 28%.

PlGermanyMayYTD%'12Pl
1Smart Fortwo ED e)30520287
2Renault Twizy133389211
3Citröen C-Zero5267154
4Nissan Leaf11252145
5Renault Zoe1161599N/A
6Opel Ampera3713772
7Mitsubishi I-Miev125139
8Renault Fluence ZE
3026

TOTAL3441.832


e) Estimate

Source: Manufacturers, kba.de




Thursday, June 20, 2013

France May 2013

The attractive Renault Zoe dipped below 500 units/month

Problems in Zoeland Edition

With 1.024 units sold in May, the french EV market went back to last year levels, with the EV share decreasing to 0,83% as result of it.

The reason for this decrease in sales was the 45% dip that the Renault Zoe suffered, ending May with just 483 units sold. The question for the next months is if this poor performance by the french hatch is temporary or this might be the first sign of a sales failure.

The rest of the ranking remains stable, with the Renault Twizy climbing to #4 in May and putting pressure on Bolloré on the YTD ranking.

PlFranceMayYTD%'12Pl
1Renault Zoe4832.8304612
2Renault Kangoo ZE2431.730281
3Nissan Leaf12444276
4Bolloré Blue Car4925843
5Renault Twizy6425042
6Toyota Prius Plug-In e)2519237
7Smart Fortwo ED10158311
8Mia Electric1310328
9Peugeot iOn37415
10Opel Ampera130010
11Citröen C-Zero32604
12Renault Fluence ZE61609
13Chevrolet Volt
7013
14Fisker Karma
7014

TOTAL1.0246.124100

e) Estimate

Source: Manufacturers, Automobile Propre

Norway May 2013

The Volvo V60 Plug-In is one of the models with great sales potential in Norway

Leaf Rules Edition

With 391 cars sold, a 39% decrease over last month, the EV market suffered from an average month by the Nissan Leaf with 330 sales and #8 in the general ranking. It's curious to realize that an eighth place in the general ranking for the Leaf now can be classified as "average".

The rest of the ranking has much smaller numbers, the Mitsubishi I-Miev is #2, with 17 units and 181 YTD, followed by the Toyota Prius Plug-In, number one among Plug-In Hybrids, segment that will grow in the next months, now that they benefit from the same fiscal incentives as pure electric cars, for now they represent just 9% of the market.

PlNorwayMayYTD%Pl '12
1Nissan Leaf3301.634761
2Mitsubishi I-Miev1718182
3Toyota Prius Plug-In e)169445
4Volvo V60 Plug-In e)15844N/A
5Renault Kangoo ZE e)106138
6Peugeot iOn2814
7Citröen C-Zero12713
8Opel Ampera22416

TOTAL3912.149



e) Estimate

Source: BSCB, Manufacturers





Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Denmark May 2013

Black Nissan Leaf 

The Rise of Zoe - Danish Edition

With 28 units sold in May and 0,17% share, the danish EV market is far from the performances it had a few months ago.

The Nissan Leaf just needed 9 sales to secure the #1 spot and improve even further the YTD leadership, but the big news was the landing of the Renault Zoe, which sold 6 units, enough to secure a brilliant #2 spot this month and in third another newcomer made its position, with the Renault Twizy making its first footsteps in Denmark.

But not everything went smoothly for Renault, because the Fluence ZE, its usual best seller, dived to fifth place in May, suffering from the Better Place collapse. Although the Fluence is still #2 YTD, the Zoe / Twizy duo came in the right time to balance a possible disappearance from the top spots of the french sedan.  

DenmarkMayYTD%
Nissan Leaf96752
Renault Fluence ZE23829
Peugeot iOn175
Renault Zoe665
Renault Twizy454
Renault Kangoo ZE332
Opel Ampera222
Smart Fortwo ED111
Toyota Prius Plug-In
11
TOTAL28130100

Source: http://www.bilimp.dk/statistics/index.asp

Spain May 2013

Black Zoe

The Rise of Zoe - Spanish Edition

After reaching #3 last month, in May the Renault Zoe conquered the top spot with 43 units and now it's looking to climb to the top of the YTD chart.

Other Renault, the Twizy, is second, followed by the Nissan Leaf, while the YTD leader, the Mitsubishi I-Miev is back to normal numbers, selling 13 cars and dropping in May to #4.

By brands, Renault recovered the #1 spot with 42% share, but it's still far from the domination it had last year (72%).

PlSpainMayYTD%'12Pl
1Mitsubishi I-Miev131143210
2Renault Twizy2882231
3Nissan Leaf2669193
4Renault Zoe436418N/A
5Smart Fortwo ED113416
6Toyota Prius Plug-In
517
7Opel Ampera
419
8Renault Fluence ZE1314

TOTAL112356100


Source: Manufacturers, Anianca

Netherlands May 2013

The Plug Prius leads in the Netherlands

The Rise of Zoe - Dutch Edition

Despite a below average sales month (310 units), and because the global dutch market is falling even more (-37%!), this month the EV share recovered to the 2012 levels, at 1,10%.

A strong Prius Plug-In dethroned the Opel Ampera from number one both on the monthly and YTD rankings, and the Renault Zoe jumped to third in May, benefiting from its first real month of sales (48 units).

On the other hand, the Nissan Leaf had a terrible sales month, selling just 10 units. Is it a hiccup or is the Zoe stealing sales? To be seen in the next episodes.

PlNetherlandsMayYTD%'12Pl
1Toyota Prius Plug-In106790412
2Opel Ampera75577301
3Chevrolet Volt3615683
4Nissan Leaf1012564
5Renault Kangoo ZE1611765
6Renault Twizy116736
7Renault Zoe48583N/A
8Fisker Karma72318
9Peugeot iOn
1217
10Citröen C-Zero
809
11Renault Fluence ZE
6010

TOTAL3101.944100


Source: AutoWeek.nl; Manufacturers

USA May 2013

The shark-eyed Fusion is starting to see #4 in its sights...
Changes Ahead Edition

Another good sales month for plug-ins in the US, with 7.583 units sold, the second best performance this year, rising the EV share to 0,514%.

The big news is the recovery of the Nr.1 spot by the Nissan Leaf, scoring a second best sales month at 2.138 sales and relegating the Model S to #2, down to 1.800 sales, already preparing itself for the first sales in Europe.

From this summer on, the Model S sales will be divided by several countries and with the production constraints in Tesla's production line, US sales should be limited from now on to some 1.000 units per month, so both the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt could surpass it during this year, but even if it does end in third, it's still a commendable position considering it costs twice as much as the direct competition.

Outside the podium, there's another record month for the Fusion Energi (416 units), just 34 units behind its brethren Ford C-Max and closing in at #4 position held by the Prius Plug-In, and there's also the arrival of the 3rd Gen Smart Fortwo ED, now available to the general public and looking to collect a Top 10 spot in the coming months.

PlUSAMayYTD%
1Tesla Model S1.8008.85027
2Nissan Leaf2.1387.61423
3Chevrolet Volt1.6077.15722
4Toyota Prius Plug-In6783.63011
5Ford C-Max Energi4502.0276
6Ford Fusion Energi4161.1954
7Mitsubishi I-Miev918433
8Ford Focus Electric1577232
9Toyota RAV4 EV843661
10Honda Accord Plug-In581580
11Fisker Karma29950
12Honda Fit EV15830
13Smart Fortwo ED60620

TOTAL7.58332.833100

Source: insideevs.com