Tesla Model 3 = #2 In Overall Dutch Auto Market In August

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The Dutch electric vehicle market grew 79% in August, with 2,839 EV registrations logged. That translated into an electric vehicle share of 8.3%, placing the year-to-date EV share at 7.5%.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were also up this time (+14% YoY), but because their overall growth pales compared to full electrics (BEVs), they represented just 9% of all plug-in registrations last month, and just 13% year to date (YTD). Adding PHEVs to BEVs, the plug-in vehicle (PEV) share climbed to 9.3% in August and 8.7% this year, placing this market close to the disruptive 10% figure.

… And, with another delivery peak expected towards the end of the year (a Dutch specialty by now), the final 2019 share should end north of the famous 10%, which should make the year 2020 pretty special in this market.

In August, the leader was again the Tesla Model 3, which had its best off-peak month so far (1,180 units). That placed it in a different league than the rest, so prospects for beating the all-time BEV record from a single model (which is 2,621 units) in September look good.

But back to August, in a relatively stable top 5, the Nissan Leaf was the only new face, tied in #4 with the (insert battery constraint comment) Kia Niro EV. So, it seems the injection of the 62 kWh version is finally pulling the Japanese hatchback back into the spotlight.

Looking at the 2019 ranking, the Tesla Model 3 sits high above everyone else, with almost a third of the PEV market. The Tesla midsizer was actually August’s 2nd best selling model across all automobile models. (More on that at the bottom.)

In the top 10, the big news was the BMW i3 switching places with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, with the German hatchback reaching the 6th position. That puts 6 BEVs in the top 6 positions. #BEVs rule.

The second half of the ranking further shows the BEV takeover, with the #12 Opel Ampera-e (64 units in August, best result since January) now just 2 units behind the #11 Volvo XC60 PHEV. So, we should see the German-American hatchback reach #11 next month, making it 10 BEVs in the top 11 spots.

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But there’s more good news on the BEV side, as the Jaguar I-PACE was up one position, to #18, and highlighting Tesla’s good moment, the Model X returned to the top 20 … in #20, thanks to 42 deliveries last month, its best off-peak month this year. Its Model S sibling also had a positive month, with 25 deliveries, also an off-peak year best, allowing the Tesla flagship to climb one position, to #19.

With the Model X now in the top 20, we have 14 BEVs vs 6 PHEVs in the top 20, and it wouldn’t be surprising if only 3 of the plug-in hybrids resisted till the end of the year.

In the manufacturer ranking, Tesla (33%, up 1%) is the clear leader, followed by two Koreans on the podium, Hyundai (15%) and Kia (10%, up 1%). Volkswagen (8%), BMW (7%), and Nissan (7%) complete the top 6.

Source: RAI Vereniging and EV Volumes

Tesla Model 3 & the Gas/Diesel Competition

Comparing Model 3 deliveries against those of its midsize competitors is getting boring, as there is really no competition for it, so I decided to pit the Model 3 against the market’s overall best sellers, and here’s how that looked in August:

The EV poster child is not only on the overall podium (and #2 in August, only behind the VW Polo), but it is almost the sole EV representative in the top 10, with only the electrified Kia Niro (sometimes with a plug, sometimes not) following it in a distant #8.

Expect the Model 3 to surpass the Ford Focus in September, and it might even have a shot at removing the VW Polo from the leadership position, depending on how high the Tesla tide will be by then.