Volvo Plug-In Vehicles Shine In France, Renault Zoe Still Queen (#CleanTechnica Report)
The French plug-in electric car market registered 4,667 units in June, up 13% year over year (YoY), with all-electric models growing slightly faster than plug-in hybrids (BEVs +14%, PHEVs +12%), something that hadn’t been happening lately.
The 2018 plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) share remained stable at 1.8%, with BEVs alone having 1.2% share.
Looking at June best sellers, the Zoe collected another win. (What a surprise!) Its registrations were up 5% compared to the same month last year. The runner-up Nissan Leaf is doing even better in that regard, due to the new generation, with the Japanese hatchback sales up 140% year over year (YoY), scoring 469 deliveries.
But the real news happened in the following places: The Mini Countryman PHEV scored a record 186 registrations, earning its first podium position, and the #4 Volvo XC60 PHEV also had a record result, with 185 deliveries.
EV Model | |
21,491 | 100% |
In a market known for its stability, this time there were a number of changes in the top 10, with the most relevant belonging to Volvo SUVs. The XC60 PHEV climbed to #4, thanks to the aforementioned record performance, while its XC90 PHEV larger sibling jumped two positions, to #6, thanks to 111 deliveries, the yacht’s best result in two years. We now have two Volvos in the top 6, a first for the Swedish carmaker.
But the Climber of the Month was the Mini Countryman PHEV, leaping 8 positions to … #8.
The Good Ol’ Peugeot iOn also rejoined the top 10, in #9, a notable performance for the veteran model, especially considering that it landed 600 8 years ago. Its Citroen geriatric twin, the C-Zero, rejoined the top 20, with a year-best performance of 77 deliveries, proving these small EVs still have a dedicated audience.
Finally, three PHEVs were on the up in June, with the BMW 225xe Active Tourer (113 units) rising three positions to #14, the VW Golf GTE (101 units) climbing to #17, and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (95) reaching #18. Interestingly, all three models hit year-best performances. Are we witnessing the beginning of a new period of fast PHEV growth?
In the brand ranking, Renault (37%, up 1 percentage point) continues in the leading position (nobody saw this coming, right?), followed at a distance by BMW (12%) and Nissan (10%, down 1 percentage point).
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