Mass production Renault Zoe dominated electric car sales in Europe in July, with 146 percent … [+]
Europe’s car sales figures for July are great news for electric car lovers, but very bad news for Tesla.
Tesla fans have long argued that with such a huge advance in electric car sales it could not be caught by legacy OEMs, but that theory was blown out of the water in July, according to respected car brand analyst company, Jato Dynamics.
While sales of electric cars (EVs) in July accounted for 18 percent of total sales in Europe, Tesla sales increased by 76 percent in the month to just 1,050 sales.
The Covid-19 pandemic may have wiped out global car sales in the first half of the year, but the impact was much lower on electrified, plug-in cars.
EV registrations in Europe rose by 131 percent in July, to 230,700.
Sales of Model 3 cratered with the rest of the Tesla range in July, falling 76 percent in July. … [+]
While manufacturing problems in California stifled Tesla sales, there was no shortage of OEMs rushing ahead to fill the vacuum.
“Contrary to the general trend of increasing demand for electric cars, Tesla is losing ground in Europe this year,” said Jato Dynamics global auto analyst Felipe Munoz, global analyst.
“Some of this can be explained by problems with production continuity in California, but also by high competition from markets that play as locals in Europe.”
These brands include Peugeot’s 208, the Mini Electric, the MG ZS, the Porsche Taycan and the Skoda Citigo, he said.
The Renault Zoe was by far the best-selling EV in Europe in July, with 146 percent annual growth, but there was not a single Tesla in the top 10.
The Korean-built Hyundai Kona was only second in the European EV charts behind the Renault Zoe in … [+]
Renault sold 9280 Zoes in July, followed by the Hyundai Kona (4405, with 111 percent growth), the Volkswagen e-Golf (4094) and Kia’s e-Niro.
Total EV registrations in Europe jumped from 23,400 sales in July 2019 to 53,200 in 2020, with the offered models rapidly climbing from 28 models in 2019 to 38 this year.
And more will come.
Audi’s e-tron GT will launch next year, adding more competition to Tesla’s mix. Photo: Manfred … [+]
Audi has launched its e-tron GT this year, Volkswagen has already launched its long-awaited ID.3 and has shown sketches of next year’s ID.4 SUV, Jaguar has pledged a little brother to the World Car of the Year -winning I -Pace and Porsche have two more EVs over the next two years.
While Tesla’s share price continues to grow astonishingly, the story has become hollow without competition.
“The rise in demand for EVs is strongly related to a wider range that ultimately includes more affordable choices,” Munoz explained.
“The higher competition among markets also pushes prices down.”
That’s not the only thing driving the sales of EVs. Governments offer enormous incentives, including a maximum of € 12,000 in France and more than € 9,000 in Germany.
Hybrids, including mild hybrids, have also bloomed, with 89 percent annual growth in July.
Plug-in hybrid sales have taken a surprising 365 percent jump from last July’s figures, boosted by new models and extended true EV range, including up to 80km (50 miles) in some top models.
For all the doom and gloom, the entire auto industry jumped back sharply in July, with the 27 national markets in Jato’s data recording 1,278,521 sales – just four percent less than 2019.
“Both private and business consumers are responding to the better market conditions. As the current situation continues to improve, we can start talking about a ‘V’ shaped recovery in the European car industry, ‘Munoz said.
“However, there are still many uncertainties regarding how and when the pandemic will finally end, so caution remains.”
However, it has clearly not been a good sales year over the seven months.
Volumes have fallen 35 percent since January, to 6.37 million cars, and only nine of the 27 countries even showed growth in July.
The July figures were healthy in countries such as the United Kingdom, France and Denmark, but major markets such as Italy, Portugal and Austria all fell by more than 10 per cent. Germany was five percent lower.
“The growing demand favors SUVs in particular, with a wider range, including more electrified versions,” Munoz said.
Gasoline-powered cars retain most of the market, at 52 percent (less than 59 percent last year), with the EV squeeze also dropping diesel from 31 to 28 percent.
Following a Covid-19 blip, the Volkswagen Golf Mark VIII restored its direct sales lead in Europe in … [+]
The Volkswagen Golf has regained its traditional place as the largest selling machine in Europe, with 31,169 sales in July.
The compact class of the B-segment to which it belongs is no longer the largest, as they have been overtaken by SUVs and by sub-compact hatches such as Renault’s Clio and Peugeot’s 208.
More than four out of every 10 new cars sold in Europe in July were SUVs, bringing their sales to 530,800.
“SUVs are normally more expensive than their car equivalents, so it’s remarkable to see that despite the crisis, this is the only segment that has seen growth,” Munoz said.
“They prove that consumers with a competitive supply respond positively, despite the difficulties.”
The Renault Captur is the largest seller of SUVs in Europe, but just right. Photo: Sjoerd van der Wal / Getty … [+]
The SUV battle has been incredibly tough, with less than 400 units separating the Renault Captur in first place (and fifth overall), the Peugeot 2008 in second and the Volkswagen T-Roc in third.
Volkswagen has three models (the Golf, the T-Roc and the Tiguan) in the top 10 sellers, while Renault (Clio and Captur) and Peugeot (208 and 2008) have two.
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