June 2017 plug-in vehicle sales were evenly split, between those showing an increase in sales versus a decrease. June has always been a good month for me. Families have gotten through graduations, tax refunds have been received, vacations (when people would like a new, reliable vehicle) are coming up. So far this year has been very challenging, with regards to my sales. June was a huge success, with this June being the best June I’ve ever had. Hallelujah!!!
One exciting bit of news in June 2017 was Bolt EV and eAssist Silverado hybrid pickup arrivals began in Texas! This was a little over a month ahead of GM’s announced schedule for Bolt EV and none too early for those of us who transferred to the EV & Hybrid Sales Center at the dealership. Unfortunately, the luck of the draw failed me. Tim, another salesperson in Electric Avenue, had two of his Bolt EV orders arrive before any of my orders did. I was disappointed that one of my clients wasn’t the first one to receive a Bolt EV, but such is life. I ended up delivering my first two Bolt EVs on July 1st, in the pouring rain. We now have more Bolt EVs on site than any other dealer in Texas. In fact, more than twice as many!
Another June news item: The 2017 Volt model year, which lasted 1-1/2 calendar years, is coming to an end. I ordered a 2nd Volt for a client of mine (yes, they re-Volted), expecting it to be a 2017. Our Inventory Manager called me to let me know all Volt orders, starting with that one, will be for the 2018 model year (more on that, soon).
That particular Volt client is an interesting sales story. He and his family live in Midland, Texas, which is 320 miles away from my dealership. In March 2015, his daughter had called Chevy dealerships all around Texas, looking for a good deal on a Malibu. I won. She drove in, with her boyfriend, and we all had a GREAT time together. We had dinner, a few tequilas… Anyway, when she got home, she told her dad about me and said, “The next time you’re looking at new cars, you’ve got to go see Buzz!” In June of last year, her dad had become very interested in the Chevy Volt, after reading lots of articles about it. He mentioned this to his daughter and she told him, “You aren’t going to believe this, but that’s what Buzz and his wife both drive! He’s crazy about the Volt!” Her dad called me, ordered a Volt, in July, and picked it up in early September. He has been the only Volt client of mine to purchase the spare tire kit, because he didn’t want to have a potential blowout strand him on the long way home, in the West Texas heat. Recently, he and his wife ordered another Volt, which will be the first 2018, which I mentioned above.
Here are the June 2017 sales figures, compared to the previous month:
- Chevy Volt: DOWN 4% (1,745 vs. 1,817)
- Chevy Bolt EV: UP 5% (1,642 vs. 1,566)
- Nissan Leaf: UP 8% (1,506 vs. 1,392)
- Plug-in Toyota Prius: DOWN 15% (1,619 vs. 1,908)
- Tesla Model S: UP 45% (2,350 vs. 1,620) **estimated
- Tesla Model X: UP 27% (2,200 vs. 1,730) **estimated
- BMW i3: UP 12% (567 vs. 506)
- Ford Fusion Energi: DOWN 29% (707 vs. 1,000)
- Ford C-Max Energy: DOWN 1% (936 vs. 950)
- Hyundai Ioniq Electric: DOWN 23% (58 vs. 75)
In June, the average price of gasoline was down 3% compared with the previous month, dropping steadily, throughout the month. It had dropped 2% during the month prior. This is not helpful for those of us selling plug-in vehicles!.
As I mentioned earlier, June 2017 was my best June ever. In the graph above, the largest bar for June is red, representing June 2017. But notice its size, compared to all the other red bars for 2017. This shows exactly what kind of disaster 2017 has been for me, through May. I hope June is the start of business picking up…
My June sales were comprised of six Volts, three Malibus (no, not hybrids), a Tahoe and an Equinox. I did not sell a single Silverado pickup, so the Volt continues to be my most popular vehicle, pulling away from the pack.
Plug-in sales, compared to the same month a year ago, were also mixed evenly.
- Chevy Volt: DOWN 10% (1,745 vs. 1,937)
- Chevy Bolt EV: (was not available in June 2016)
- Nissan Leaf: UP 37% (1,506 vs. 1,096)
- Plug-in Toyota Prius: UP 14,618% (1,619 vs. 11) **previous generation Prius plug-in, dying out last June
- Tesla Model S: DOWN 27% (2,350 vs. 3,700)
- Tesla Model X: UP 3% (2,200 vs. 2,145)
- BMW i3: DOWN 7% (567 vs. 608)
- Ford Fusion Energi: DOWN 58% (707 vs. 1,700)
- Ford C-Max Energi: UP 49% (936 vs. 630)
- Hyundai Ioniq Electric: (was not available in June 2016)
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