Apparently immune to the crises the car market is going through — from the covid-19 to the crisis of chips or semiconductor materials that will last until 2022 — sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids continue to register “explosive” increases in the Europe.
If 2020 had already been a phenomenal year for this type of vehicle (electric and plug-in hybrids), with sales growing 137% compared to 2019, an impressive figure considering the 23.7% drop in the car market. European, 2021 promises to be even better.
In the first half of 2021, sales of electric cars jumped 124% from the same period in 2021, while those of plug-in hybrids jumped even higher at 201%, more than tripling the previous record. Figures that are provided by Schmidt Automotive Research, which analyzed 18 countries in Western Europe, account for about 90% of total electrified car sales across Europe.
These increases translate into 483,304 electric cars and 527,742 plug-in hybrid cars sold in the first six months of the year, with the market share being, respectively, 8.2% and 9%. Schmidt Automotive Research estimates that by the end of the year, combined sales of plug-in electrics and hybrids will reach the two-million-unit mark, corresponding to a market share of 16.7%.
These explosive climbs can be justified for several reasons. From the substantial increase in the supply of electrified vehicles, as well as the strong tax incentives and benefits they enjoy today.
Tesla Model 3, the best seller
Regardless of the reasons behind the success, there is one model that stands out: o Tesla Model 3 . He is the undisputed leader among electric cars, having sold nearly 66,000 units in the first six months of the year, according to figures from Schmidt. It also had its best month ever in Europe in June, with more than 26 thousand units transacted.
The second best-selling player, with 30,292 units, is the Volkswagen ID.3 — “club to bat” with the third, the Renault Zoe (30,126 units), separated by just over 150 units — but that means it's more 35 thousand units away from the first. By the way, if we add up the sales of ID.3 and ID.4 (the best-selling electric room with 24,204 units), they cannot surpass those of the Model 3.
The Top 10 best-selling trams in Europe in the first half of 2021:
- Tesla Model 3
- Volkswagen ID.3
- Renault Zoe
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Hyundai Kauai Electric
- Kia e-Niro
- Peugeot e-208
- Fiat 500
- Volkswagen e-Up
- Nissan Leaf
Ford Kuga is the leader among plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrids sell even more than electric ones, with the top seller, according to Schmidt, the Ford Kuga PHEV, with a 5% market share, closely followed by the Volvo XC40 Recharge (PHEV).
The podium is closed with the Peugeot 3008 HYBRID/HYBRID4, followed by the BMW 330e and Renault Captur E-Tech.
We also add the excellent performance of conventional hybrids (which do not allow external charging) in this first half of 2021, with ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) reporting an increase of 149.7% over the same period in 2020.
If sales of plug-in electrics and hybrids in 2020 had the precious help of the expressive incentives that took place after the first decontaminations in May-June in the main European markets (France and Germany, in particular); and because of the “flooding” of the market in December by the builders to help with the bills of emissions, the truth is that in 2021 the increase that has been verified is sustained, without recourse to artifices.
Leaving the sphere of models, the Volkswagen Group leads the sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with a 25% share, followed by Stellantis, with 14% and Daimler, with 11%. The Top 5 ends with the BMW Group, with a share of (also) 11% and with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, with 9%.