December 2019 was an outstanding month in terms of plug-in electric car sales in Europe (see our report, based on EV Sales Blog data here), as one of the electric cars managed to break into the top 3 best selling models (more on that down below).
First, let’s start with the overall results provided by JATO Dynamics. Plug-in sales increased by 91% year-over-year to a record 75,700 or 6% of total volume in an all-time high December (1,258,412).
Plug-in car sales in Europe – December 2019
Plug-ins grew quicker than hybrids and all-electric cars, for the first time, outsold conventional hybrids (we wonder whether Toyota considers it as a warning to its strategy).
- BEVs: 51,600 (up 96% year-over-year)
- PHEVs: 24,100 (up 80% year-over-year)
- HEVs: 48,700 (up 41% year-over-year)
- Total xEVs: 124,400 (up 68% year-over-year)
Brands and models
The absolute biggest sensation is the Tesla Model 3, which with 22,118 sales (a new record for an EV in a single month in Europe), happened to be the third best-selling car, regardless of the powertrain. Quite an improvement from #11 in September. #1 was the Volkswagen Golf (30,652) and #2 was the Renault Clio (27,516), while the Ford Kuga (22,045) was just behind the Model 3.
Thanks to volume deliveries and high demand in the Netherlands, Model 3 alone was responsible for 43% of BEVs.
“Electrified vehicles emerged as another big winner in December with demand soaring by 69% – equating to 132,200 units or 11% market share. In fact, the Tesla Model 3 was the most exciting performer of the closing month of 2019. With 22,100 units, it became the third best-selling model in the rankings, outselling other popular cars like the Volkswagen Polo, Peugeot 208, Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Octavia. Its volume made up 43% of the BEV registrations but it wasn’t the only star among the electric cars. The Audi E-Tron was the third best-selling BEV, and the Hyundai Kona BEV and MG ZS hit the top 10.
EVs are closing the gap at an impressive rate when compared to their diesel counterparts. In December 2018, there were 4.6 diesel cars for every EV sold; a year later the ratio has fallen significantly to 2.9. Most of this progress has been due to pure electric cars (BEV), which outsold hybrid vehicles (HEV) for the first time.”
“In December 2019, the BEV registrations totaled 51,600 units, up by 96%, while the HEV volume totaled 48,700 units, up by 41%. “As expected, Tesla continues to have an enormous impact on registrations at the end of each quarter and the Model 3 has put sedans back in the spotlight. The question is whether this trend is sustainable, or will electric SUVs hinder the popularity of Tesla Model 3 in the coming months?” states Felipe Munoz, JATO’s global analyst.”
Source: JATO Dynamics