Plug-in vehicle sales, compared to the previous month, looked like this:
- Chevy Volt: very slightly up 3% (1,439 vs. 1,394)
- Nissan Leaf: slightly down by 10% (2,589 vs. 2,881)
- Plug-in Toyota Prius: UP 36% (479 vs. 353)
- Cadillac ELR: UP 37% (152 vs. 111)
- BMW i3: up 13% (1,159 vs. 1,022)
- BMW i8: UP 252% (204 vs. 58)*
- Ford Fusion Energi: slightly up 7% (686 vs. 640)
- Ford C-Max Energi: slightly down 5% (644 vs. 677)
- Chevy Corvette Stingray: up 20% (2,959 vs. 2,467)
*The Tesla Model S has been dropped from my tracking and replaced by the BMW i8, due to Tesla Motors not publishing the sales figures for the U.S. Originally, I could find what appeared to be good numbers for this, but in recent months the various sources I use have had widely divergent figures.
My personal experience in October was a dismal first two weeks followed by a blow out final two weeks. It appears that the models with any significant increase in sales (by percentage) had nowhere else to go, with their recent monthly sales numbers below 500 units.
The battle for adoption, in the lower chart, shows most plug-in vehicles following along a similar adoption rate with the original Prius. The Prius waned around the 37th-40th months, which allowed the slander-recovered Volt surpass it for about 5 months. The story of late though, is the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf has consistently beaten the Volt in monthly sales for twelve straight months! During that time, the Leaf has enjoyed 43% higher unit sales than the Volt. That’s 721 more units sales per month for Nissan. At that rate, the Leaf’s total US sales, since its inception, would surpass the Volt’s total US sales by March or April of next year. That’s only 5 or 6 months away!
This is astounding to me for a few reasons:
- First the Leaf is purely electric. I would have expected EV buyers to be cautious and figuratively dip their toe in the water by first acquiring a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Perhaps that first generation of buyers has passed and now we’re looking at buyers getting their second plug-in vehicle. Having gained experience with their first plug-in vehicle, they may be more confident in selecting a purely electric vehicle now.
- The Leaf’s bad press over its battery’s heat issues. Perhaps those are far enough in the past that the topic never comes up anymore. I believe it definitely hindered sales for the first year or so, as is reflected in the lower chart.
- In my oft-stated opinion, the Leaf is one of the least attractive vehicles in this group. How is it poised to surpass both the Volt and the original, albeit homely, Toyota Prius? I believe some potential Volt buyers are putting off their purchase until they see the 2016 Volt debut in January.
Sales, compared to the same month a year ago, looked like this:
- Chevy Volt: DOWN 39% (1,439 vs. 2,022) .
- Nissan Leaf: UP 43% (2,589 vs. 2,002)
- Plug-in Toyota Prius: DOWN 77% (479 vs. 2,095)
- Cadillac ELR: (did not exist a year ago)
- BMW i3: (did not exist a year ago)
- BMW i8: (did not exist a year ago)
- Ford Fusion Energi: DOWN 37% (686 vs. 1,087)
- Ford C-Max Energi: DOWN 41% (644 vs. 1,092)
- Chevy Corvette Stingray: DOWN 25% (2,959 vs. 3,929)
Gas prices continue to decline with the end of the Summer season and do not seem to be helping EV sales at all!
P.S. It’s Election Day! Go vote!!!
