Renault Zoe Climbs To #1 In Germany (#CleanTechnica Report)

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The German plug-in electric car (PEV) market grew 23% in June, to 5,709 registrations, with plug-in hybrids (+25%) and fully electric cars (+21%) growing at a similar pace. In 2018, all-electrics are reaching 1% share, while plug-in hybrids have also grown their share to 1%, resulting in a total PEV share of 2%.

But the most interesting story on the fuels mix is the Titanic-like drop of diesel vehicles sales. In June, their sales sank 16%, to the benefit of all other kinds of fuels. Diesel now represents only 31% of the market. At this pace, diesel sales could be tot in this market by 2021. Inconceivable? Well, in 12 months, diesel lost 9% share,, going from 40% to 31%.

Looking at June best sellers, BMW had a 1–2 win, with the i3 scoring 509 units, a new year best, while the 225xe Active Tourer registered 500 units, a new record for the German MPV.

The Renault Zoe was 3rd, while the surprise of the month was the #5 Mini Countryman PHEV. With 300 deliveries, it had its best result ever in Germany.

Just outside the top 5, the VW e-Golf registered only 290 deliveries, its worst performance in 11 months. Is the German brand already starting the sunset mode of its BEV hatchback?

	Model	Sales
1	BMW i3	509
2	BMW 225xe A. Tourer	500
3	Renault Zoe	465
4	Smart Forfour ED	310
5	Mini Countryman PHEV	300

Over the years, the German PEV market has become known for its constant changes, with several plots and sub-plots happening every time, Rote Rosen-novela style. This season, in the June chapter, we have yet another leadership change, with the Renault Zoe climbing to #1 for the first time since July ’17.

But the changes in the front group didn’t ended there. The BMW i3 surpassed the Smart Fortwo ED and is now the new #3, but with only 358 units separating the 4 frontrunners, there’s still a lot to expect from this race until December, almost reminding one of the best races in Formula E.

The Smart Forfour ED climbed two positions, to #6, putting 6 BEVs in the top 6 positions, which is a significant sign of what people are looking for…

In the PHEV race, the Mercedes E350e is losing ground to its pursuers (VW Passat & Golf GTE, BMW 225xe A. Tourer), with the BMW MPV expected to surpass the remaining competition in July.

The Audi A3 e-Tron is in recovery mode, jumping four positions to #11 thanks to 279 deliveries. That’s it’s best result in 9 months.

As for Tesla Model S, the sports sedan climbed two positions to #15, but it is still behind its direct competitor, the #12 Porsche Panamera PHEV. Germany would always be a tough market to crack for Tesla (a bit like the BMW i3 in the US), but the truth is that this year Model S deliveries are down 32% YoY and the Model X is faring even worse (-37% YoY). Are the upcoming German premium BEVs already making a dent in Tesla sales?

Underlining another positive month for BMW, the 530e sedan also hit a personal best, with 161 registrations. The strong sales allowed it to climb to #17.

In the brand ranking, Volkswagen (17%, down 1%) continues in the lead, but BMW (16%) is getting closer, while the #3 Smart (12%) is stable in the last place on the podium.

	EV Model	June	YTD	EV Market Share
1	Renault Zoe	465	2,691	8%
2	VW e-Golf	290	2,561	8%
3	BMW i3	509	2,449	7%
4	Smart Fortwo ED	264	2,333	7%
5	Kia Soul EV	125	2,024	6%
6	Smart Forfour ED	310	1,569	5%
7	Mercedes E350e	187	1,479	4%
8	VW Passat GTE	198	1,477	4%
9	BMW 225xe Active Tourer	500	1,471	4%
10	VW Golf GTE	206	1,455	4%
11	Audi A3 e-Tron	279	999	3%
12	Porsche Panamera PHEV	149	944	3%
13	Nissan Leaf	127	892	3%
14	Kia Niro PHEV	145	879	3%
15	Tesla Model S	200	856	3%
16	Mercedes GLC350e	98	827	2%
17	BMW 530e	161	771	2%
18	Mercedes C350e	52	762	2%
19	Hyundai Ioniq Electric	126	679	2%
20	Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV	121	666	2%
	Others	1,197	5,773	17%
	TOTAL	5,709	33,557	100%

Source: kba.de