Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Sales Gaining Rapidly On Nissan LEAF Sales In UK

Despite the Nissan LEAF’s apparently strong top position in the UK electric vehicle (EV) market, the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has managed to make significant gains since its release last year.

As of the most recent figures (via RAC Foundation analysis of DVLA data), there were 5,273 Outlander PHEVs in the UK at the end of 2014 , as compared to 6,838 Nissan LEAFs. That’s quite impressive considering that the LEAF first went on sale in the UK market back in 2011, and Mitsubishi’s offering was only released just last year. I guess that Brits like SUVs a lot?

Given those sales numbers you can’t help but get the impression that the Outlander PHEV is going to take the top spot relatively soon.

Following those two clear front-runners we have the BMW i3 in third place — with 1,534 registrations as of the end of 2014, quite a ways behind the Nissan and Mitsubishi offerings, but not bad. Following way behind those three, if we go all the way down to the 7th position, we can find the Tesla Model S — with only 700 units sold. No doubt not quite where CEO Elon Musk would like those figures, but then again, I guess that considering Tesla’s recent success with its battery pack unveiling, the company is doing good regardless. Additionally, we have to remember that Tesla is still supply limited globally.

“Electric vehicle sales momentum is building at a phenomenal rate in the UK as the benefits of all-electric driving become more widely known and rapid charging infrastructure grows across the country,” stated Paul O’Neill, an EV manager at Nissan Motor GB. “We’re delighted that the award-winning Nissan LEAF continues to dominate the pure EV market and we’re on course to break more sales records as the year progresses.”

True enough. With the rapid growth of the UK market as of late, I’m guess that all the manufacturers involved are feeling pretty decent.

Image Credit: Mitsubishi