Tesla Model 3 = 67% of US Electric Vehicle Sales in 2nd Quarter
I prefer comparing the Tesla Model 3 to its gasoline competitors, but it’s also logical to compare the Model 3 to other electric vehicles. In the old days, these were simply called “EV sales reports,” but the US electric vehicle market is so unbalanced at the moment that it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room — there’s the Model 3, and there’s everything else.
In fact, even that is unbalanced, as the Model 3 accounts for 67% of US electric vehicle sales, according to 2nd quarter sales data and estimates.
The reason for the dramatic divergence in sales is up for interpretation. One reason might be that the majority of people who want an electric car don’t see anything that beats the Model 3 — or at least not for anywhere near its price point. Another reason might be that the Model 3 is the only electric vehicle that blatantly and commandingly outcompetes all of its gasoline competitors in ways that normal consumers care about. Another possibility is that word of mouth about the Model 3 has gotten around so much that it’s clearly the new “it” product for certain portions of the population. Or, more practically, consumers in a more mainstream wave of EV adoption have simply learned about the many benefits of the car.
In any case, the story in EV world is that the majority of EV sales are Tesla Model 3 sales. Tesla’s more expensive models (the Model S and Model X) held the #2 and #3 spots in the 2nd quarter, while the Chevy Bolt and Nissan LEAF were the only other models to score over 3,000 sales in the quarter. (GM’s and Nissan’s top electrified models used to see more than 3,000 sales a month.) The Audi e-tron, BMW i3, and Volkswagen e-Golf each had over 1,000 sales in Q2 — approximately as many Model 3s as Tesla sells in 2–3 days in the USA.
The charts can tell the rest of the story.
A handful of electric models are not included here because the parent companies don’t release sales data for them. Those include the Honda Clarity EV, Hyundai Ioniq EV, Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro EV, and Fiat 500e. However, if I plug in estimates from InsideEVs, they’re so insignificant that the Model 3 retains its 67% share of the market.
I hesitate to beat a demolished piñata, but it’s perhaps worth noting that many of the electric models in these charts were at various times deemed “Tesla killers” by certain members of the media. It appears there was a miscalculation in those forecasts.
If you prefer a fun chart over a static one, below is an interactive chart in which you can toggle between Q1 and Q2 sales.
If you are interested in buying a Tesla Model 3 (or Model S or X) and need a referral code to get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging, feel free to use ours: http://ts.la/tomasz7234
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