Based on the latest electric car sales numbers from auto manufacturers, as well as estimates for Tesla and Fiat electric car sales, plug-in electric car sales in the US seem to have increased 15% in January 2016 compared to January 2015.
However, most manufacturers have nothing to cheer about. Sales were down for the following models:
But these models were up:
And these models are new to the US market:
As far as the percentage of the electric market taken by the leading models, the breakdown for the top 5 is as follows:
- Tesla Model S (31%)
- Chevy Volt (14%)
- Nissan LEAF (10%)
- Ford Fusion Energi (8%)
- Tesla Model X (7%)
The BMW i3 took a huge hit for some reason, perhaps the extra competition from Nissan (a longer-range LEAF) and the new Chevy Volt.
Note that Tesla Model S deliveries (aka sales) were estimated based on Tesla’s projected production rate for this point in time, projected Model X production (see below), and a projected overall sales split of ~50–50 for the US vs the rest of the world. Tesla Model X deliveries were based on an estimated total number of US Signature Xs, anecdotal delivery announcements from customers, and the Q4 delivery total announced by Tesla. Fiat’s estimate was based on CVRP rebate stats.
Overall, the biggest losers in January 2016 compared to January 2015 seemed to be the BMW i3 (down by ~500 sales, or 73%), the Toyota Prius Plug-In (down by ~400 sales, or 98%), and the Nissan LEAF (down by ~300 sales, or 29%).
The biggest winners seemed to be the Tesla Model S (sales up ~800, or 53%) and Chevy Volt (sales up ~450, or 84%).
In the context of the overall US car market, plug-in cars accounted for 0.64% of all sales, up from 0.56% of sales in January 2015, despite low oil prices. The overall sales total of 1,148,087, however, includes vehicle classes (trucks, for example) in which there are no plug-in options.
Check out the charts and table below for more info and perspective.
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