I’ve got some issues with plug-in hybrids, and particularly how they’ve been designed by most automakers — well, all automakers except GM. However, plug-in hybrids are superb options — the best options — for many buyers. They even offer more environmental benefits than fully electric cars in some cases. Simply put, they are transition vehicles, and many people need transition vehicles in order to jump into the transition quicker.
All signs point to a changing of the winds in Germany with regards to plug-in vehicles. Emissions scandal after emissions scandal have raked the confidence of the public in the German auto industry and many have started to take action. Sales number from August show that nearly 2% (1.88% to be exact) of new vehicle sales in Germany were plug-in vehicles, with fully electric vehicles up +137%. That’s a higher percentage share of new vehicle sales than in the United States.
Not that long ago, only a few electric cars were on the market. Nowadays, there are a few dozen. We certainly have a few favorites here on CleanTechnica, but every plug-in car really has its own selling points. I’m sure I don’t have a comprehensive list of these in my head, and many of the points are definitely as subjective as opinions about music or movies, but below are many of my thoughts on why I’d recommend various plug-in models.
The European plug-in car market started its usual holiday season in July, down almost a third compared to the previous month (summertime = lower sales). There were some 19,600 registrations. But that is still up 41% regarding the same month last year, so the growth trend continues. Year to date, the market is up 34% this year, with the EV share now standing at a record 1.6%.
Now that we have several official specs for the Tesla Model 3, I wanted to do a thorough update of how the Model 3 competes against comparably priced offerings from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Toyota, Acura, and Jaguar. Last week, I commented at length about subjective features of the Model 3 that I think will make it a much more attractive offer for drivers and passengers — openness, torque, serenity, and 21st century controls. I honestly think these are the core factors (along with the convenience of home charging) that will lead to the Model 3 dominating its market segment. However, I know many people just want to see the numbers and I am sometimes in search of specific numbers for various comparisons, so this article is primarily aimed at providing several key specs across a few variations of the Model 3, the Tesla Model S, and 22 gas-powered competitors.
The European passenger plug-in market had a near-record month in June, with 28,000 registrations, up 54% over the same month last year. For the year through June, the market is up 30% this year, with the EV share now standing at a record 1.5%.
The European passenger plug-in market had more than 21,000 registrations last month, up 48% over the same month last year. Year-t0-date, the market is up 27% this year, with the EV share standing at 1.4%.
With quality control issues solved in the second half of the month, the Renault Zoe was once again Master in Command, with the BMW i3 and Outlander PHEV recovering some ground over the ageing Nissan Leaf.
The European passenger plug-in market had some 17,500 registrations last month, up only 6% over the same month last year. Despite this slowdown, the market is up 24% this year, with the electric vehicle (EV) share now standing at 1.4%.
The European EV market had 29,000 registrations in March, up 30% over the same month last year, making it the third best month ever, only behind the incentive-inflated Decembers of 2015 (34,000) and 2016 (30,000). At this pace, the European EV market is set to reach the 300,000 units milestone by year end. Furthermore the EV market share now coasts at a record 1.5%.
The Japanese electric vehicle market is comprised almost entirely of Japanese auto manufacturers (unsurprisingly), which makes the market an interesting contrast to free-for-all markets like the US.
