Global Plug-in Sales for Q1-2018

by Roland Irle, EV-volumes.com

2017 was a great year for Plug-ins and the pace continues: Quarter 1 deliveries of this year were 312 400 units worldwide, 59 % higher than for Q1-2017. The numbers include all global BEV and PHEV passenger cars sales, light trucks in USA/Canada, light commercial vehicles in Europe and now also light commercial vehicles in China as a new, emerging category. Plug-in hybrids (+69 %) increased faster than pure EVs (+52 %) again, PHEVs stood for 39 % for Q1-2018.

1076 fuel-cell vehicles were delivered, 34 % more than for Q1 of last year.

China was less impacted by delayed subsidies this year and had a strong start, BYD in particular, with their Qin and Song PHEVs. The long awaited Tesla Model-3 had over 8000 deliveries during Q1 and made it to place 10 in the global model ranking for March. The best selling model overall was the new Nissan Leaf with 22 000 deliveries, 44 % more than last year.

The fastest growing markets in Q1 were China (+113 %), Canada (+114 %), Netherlands (+122 %), South Korea (+138 %), Spain (+118 %, Finland (+144 %), New Zealand (+99 %) and Australia (+132 %). Share leaders are Norway (as usual), where 46 % of new car sales were Plug-ins this year. Iceland comes 2nd with 26 % and Sweden 3rd with 7 % for Q1 combined. All larger economies had plug-in shares shares of 2,5 % or lower.