Volkswagen ID.3 Shines In Hot Dutch Market (29% Plugin Vehicle Market Share!)

October saw the Dutch plugin electric vehicle (PEV) market return to the fast lane, jumping 228% year over year (YoY) to 9,116 units, the market’s best score ever if we exclude December months (which are prone to incentive-derived year-end rushes).

So … will next December post a new record performance?

PEV market share jumped to 29% — 23% full electrics (BEV) — pulling the 2020 plugin share to 17% (13% BEV), and this time BEVs were the main driver of growth, being responsible for 79% of all plugin sales last month, above the 75% yearly average. That was mostly thanks to one model, though — a great result from the Volkswagen ID.3, which had 2,789 deliveries last month.

As such, looking at last month’s best sellers, it was all about the deployment of ID.3 units, which represented almost a third of all plugin registrations all by itself. That put it in #1 in the overall market, leaving the #2 Kia Niro some 1,600 units behind.

But there was still more to talk about than Volkswagen’s new baby, as the Kia Niro EV had a record 752 registrations (a whole 3 units above the September result). It seems Kia’s production is maxed out for the moment, so expect two other 700-something performances in the next couple of months for the Korean crossover. The Polestar 2 completed the podium positions with its 472 registrations.

Outside the top 3, it’s crossover season, with 3 representatives of the category between 4th and 6th. The Hyundai Kona EV was in 4th, the strong personality of the Mazda MX-30 surprised everyone and reached #5 with 355 deliveries, while the Volvo XC40 PHEV (322 units) was last month’s Best Selling PHEV, with a slight advantage over its S/V60 PHEV siblings (303). Volvo is actually the only brand selling plugin hybrids in large numbers, which bodes well for the upcoming Volvo XC40 EV….

Another recent addition to the market showing strong results is the Peugeot 2008 EV, with the French crossover benefiting from PSA’s production ramp up to reach 257 deliveries in October.

Looking at the 2020 ranking, the Kia Niro EV has recovered the leadership position from the Tesla Model 3, but the current 698 units separating them are still not enough to secure the final win — because the Californian is expected to have a strong high tide in December. So, expect this year’s results for the Best Seller title to only be decided in the last stage of the race.

But the Climber of the Month was undoubtedly the Volkswagen ID.3, which shot from #19 in September to its current #3 spot, already surpassing its e-Golf predecessor. And although the first two might be too far back to be bothered, the German hatchback will be one of the strongest candidates for the 2021 title.

In the second half of the table, the Audi e-tron was up one position, to #13, consolidating its position as the best selling luxury model, while the Opel Corsa-e benefited from the PSA production ramp-up to increase deliveries and climb to #15.

We have a new face at the table, with the Polestar 2 shooting to #17, while the Mazda MX-30 should join the table soon, which could remove one of the 4 PHEVs in this top 20.

In the manufacturer ranking, Kia (12%, down 2 percentage points) and Tesla (10%, down 2 points) were both surpassed by Volkswagen (14%, up 4 points), while Volvo (10%) is trying to get up high enough to grab the bronze medal.