Hybrid vehicles have come a long way since they went mainstream with the very successful Toyota Prius. Now in its fourth generation, featuring an 8.8 kWh battery, the Prius Prime/Plug-In Hybrid is good for an all-electric range of about 40 km.
After comparing the Tesla Model Y to BMW’s high-performance SUVs a couple of weeks ago, and the more practical but less fun Lexus RX 350 last week, I noticed Mercedes is just coming out with a new performance SUV this summer as a 2021 model year SUV and thought I would compare it to the Model Y Performance.
Following the start of the EU’s new CO2 rules, the German plug-in market has (finally) clicked and February signaled another record performance, its second in a row, having registered 16,508 units in February.
The European passenger plug-in vehicle market scored some 35,000 registrations in August (+15%), with fully electric vehicles (BEVs) continuing to grow at a fast pace (69%) while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are still suffering from the WLTP blues, down -29% year over year (YoY). They’ve failed to post one single growth month since last September, when the new WLTP emission rules started.
I’m a big fan of the Tesla Model Y. I’ve written about the Model Y’s 3rd row being the key to it becoming the best selling vehicle in the world, the Model Y beating the Lamborghini Urus (which is over 3 times the price), styling tricks that Tesla used to make an SUV looks like a performance sedan, and most recently Tesla cutting Model Y prices.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped the news today on Twitter that the Tesla Model Y will be unveiled at an event at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California, on March 14. Model Y unveil event on March 14 at LA Design Studio — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2019 … [continued]
The European passenger plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market ended the year on a positive note, registering a near record 40,500 units in December (+23% YoY), with the 2018 count ending at a record 386,000 deliveries, a 33% increase over 2017. The 2018 PEV market share ended at a record 2.5%, thanks to an impressive 3.9% performance in December.
The German plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) passenger car market ended the year dropping 10% in December, to 5,711 registrations, with fully electric cars continuing to expand (+12% YoY) while plug-in hybrid electrics couldn’t find a way out of their hole (-35% in December). Fully electrics (BEVs) now clearly outselling plugin hybrids (PHEVs) — 67% PEV segment share for BEVs in December, and well above the 2018 average (53%).
The French plug-in electric passenger car market scored 5,644 registrations in December (+18% YoY), a new all-time record, and the result could have been if it weren’t for the dismal results of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which were down 21%, their sharpest drop since 2016.
After a couple of slow performances in previous months, in November, the European passenger plug-in market was back at cruising speed, with +31% year over year (YoY) sales. There were some 37,500 registrations, pulling the year-to-date (YTD) count to 345,000 deliveries (+34%). In broader context, 2018 EV market share grew to 2.4%, thanks to a 3.2% market share in November.
