Europe Achieves Over 250,000 Plug-In Car Sales in May 2023, Led by Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4

In a promising development for the automotive industry, the European passenger car market experienced substantial growth of approximately 18% year-over-year, with nearly 1.1 million new registrations recorded in May.

The standout performer in this expansion was the plug-in electric car segment, which witnessed even faster growth due to the thriving all-electric sector. EV Volumes, in collaboration with Jose Pontes, shared data indicating that over 253,000 new plug-in electric cars were registered in Europe in May, marking an impressive 38% increase compared to the previous year. These registrations accounted for approximately 23% of the total volume.

Of particular interest is the battery-electric car segment, which demonstrated exceptional growth. Year-over-year, this category experienced a remarkable surge of 67%, representing around 165,000 new registrations and capturing 15% of the market. However, plug-in hybrid car registrations exhibited minimal growth, with only a 1% increase compared to the previous year.

A breakdown of the new plug-in car registrations reveals the following figures:

• Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs): Approximately 165,500 registrations, reflecting a notable 67% year-over-year growth and a 15% market share.
• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs): Approximately 88,300 registrations, showcasing a modest 1% year-over-year growth and an 8% market share.
• Total: A staggering 253,779 new plug-in car registrations, indicating a substantial 38% year-over-year growth and capturing 23% of the market. (*Estimated from market share)

Cumulatively, in Europe, over 1.1 million passenger plug-in electric cars have been registered this year, representing approximately 21% of the total market.

The year-to-date new plug-in car registrations are as follows:

• Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs): An estimated 0.72 million registrations, accounting for a 14% market share.
• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs): An estimated 0.39 million registrations, capturing a 7% market share.
• Total: An impressive 1,123,149 new plug-in car registrations, reflecting a significant 24% year-over-year growth and capturing 21% of the market. (*Estimated from market share)

For reference, in 2022, Europe witnessed over 2.6 million new passenger plug-in electric car registrations, equivalent to approximately 23% of the total volume.

The Tesla Model Y, maintaining its strong market presence, secured the top position as the best-selling plug-in model in Europe for the seventh consecutive month, with 21,967 registrations in May. No other battery electric vehicle came close to matching its sales figures. However, the improving sales of the Volkswagen ID.4 enabled it to regain the second position, with 8,600 registrations in May. It is noteworthy that the trio of MEB-based electric crossover/SUV models, namely the Volkswagen ID.4, Audi Q4 e-tron, and Skoda Enyaq iV, collectively achieved an impressive total of 20,859 units.

The May results showcased the following rankings:

1. Tesla Model Y – 21,967 registrations
2. Volkswagen ID.4 – 8,600 registrations
3. Volvo XC40 (BEV + PHEV) – 8,233 registrations
4. MG 4 – 6,535 registrations
5. Fiat 500 electric – 6,347 registrations
6. Skoda Enyaq iV – 6,302 registrations
7. Tesla Model 3 – 6,265 registrations
8. Audi Q4 e-tron – 5,957 registrations
9. Volkswagen ID.3 – 5,609 registrations
10. BMW i4 – 4,572 registrations

Furthermore, in the first five months of the year, the Tesla Model Y solidified its lead over other models, with an advantage of approximately 70,000 units. The Volkswagen ID.4 climbed to the third position, surpassing the Tesla Model 3, while the Volkswagen ID.3 and Tesla Model 3 switched places.

The year-to-date results are as follows:

1. Tesla Model Y – 105,307 registrations
2. Volvo XC40 (BEV + PHEV) – 35,226 registrations
3. Volkswagen ID.4 – 31,481 registrations
4. Tesla Model 3 – 28,968 registrations
5. Volkswagen ID.3 – 28,959 registrations
6. Audi Q4 e-tron – 26,371 registrations
7. Fiat 500 electric – 24,615 registrations
8. MG 4 – 23,539 registrations
9. Skoda Enyaq iV – 23,142 registrations
10. Dacia Spring – 22,142 registrations

When analyzing the most popular plug-in car brands in Europe based on registration volume, Tesla continues to dominate the market. However, as an automotive group, Tesla slightly lags behind Stellantis when considering both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) combined.

The top plug-in brands in terms of market share year-to-date are as follows:

1. Tesla – 12.4%
2. Volkswagen – 8.3%
3. BMW – 7.9%
4. Mercedes-Benz – 7.7%
5. Volvo – 6.5%
6. Audi – 5.3%
7. Peugeot – 4.7%

The leading plug-in automotive groups in terms of market share year-to-date are as follows:

1. Volkswagen Group – 19.8% share (Volkswagen brand at 8.3%)
2. Stellantis – 13.9%
3. Tesla – 12.4%
4. BMW Group – 9.5% share (BMW brand at 7.7%)
5. Geely–Volvo – 9.3%
6. Mercedes-Benz Group – 8.6% (Mercedes-Benz brand at 7.7%)