Skoda Enyaq Jumps To #1 In Netherlands
The Dutch plugin vehicle (PEV) market continues in the fast lane, with 8,821 plugin registrations logged last month. That meant that last month’s PEV share of the overall passenger auto market was 26% (18% BEV), pulling the year-to-date PEV share to 20% (10% BEV) and the total tally to 32,079 units. The market share is still down compared to last year’s result (25%), but I expect that won’t be for long, as the market share should be growing throughout the year. Also, considering that a year ago, the market share was at 13%, we could see the plugin share end north of 30% by the end of this year. Now, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?
Breaking down registrations between each plugin powertrain, BEVs have returned to form, having 67% of June’s registrations, allowing pure electrics to surpass plugin hybrids in the year-to-date tally (51% vs 49%), for the first time this year. Expect pure electrics to continue recovering ground throughout the year.
Although, when we compare the BEV share a year ago (69% of plugin registrations were BEVs) with the current one (51%), one can see that BEVs are losing ground to PHEVs, and the mains reason for this has to do with pure electric vehicles gradually losing their fiscal incentives year after year, highlighting just how sensitive to incentives the plugin market still is.
In June, the leader was once again the Skoda Enyaq, scoring its second win in only its third month on the market, with 881 registrations, a new personal best. That allowed it to be the runner-up in the overall market, just behind the Kia Niro, which was June’s #1 in the overall Dutch market thanks to its multiple powertrains (HEV+PHEV+BEV).
The Kia Niro EV was second, and the last place on the podium went to another recent favorite in the Netherlands, with the Ford Mustang Mach-E repeating May’s podium presence. This time it had a record 549 registrations, which allowed it to be #11 in the overall market.
And the good news didn’t ended there for Ford, as the Kuga PHEV had its best month so far in the Netherlands, with 382 registrations — a 3rd record month in a row! That allowed it to beat the Volvo XC40 PHEV and become last month’s Best Selling PHEV.
The Tesla Model 3 had its usual last month of the quarter peak, allowing it to be #4 in June, while the Renault Zoe rose back from the dead and scored an amazing 399 registrations, which is more than what it had registered (350 units) in the previous 5 months combined!
But the number of surprises didn’t ended there, with the #8 BMW iX3 scoring a record 345 registrations and SAIC’s MG ZS EV having its best score since last August, with 275 deliveries, allowing it to be #10 in June.
In the second half of the table, we have a few surprises, like the #13 ranking of the fresh Mercedes EQA, with a record 167 registrations. The compact SUV’s performance confirms that Mercedes is currently one of the most dynamic OEMs in the EV industry. Meanwhile, the Renault Twingo EV won its first table presence, thanks to a record 139 deliveries, ending the month in #15 and highlighting Renault’s good month. We also saw the Renault Megane PHEV in #20, with a record 107 registrations, thus making it 4 Renaults in June’s top 20.
Interestingly, and highlighting the BEV recovery in June, we only have 6 PHEVs in June’s top 20, compared to 9 in the YTD table, and the top 6 models in June were all BEVs. A good sign for the second half of the year?
Outside the top 20, June saw the Opel Zafira-e/Vivaro-e van-with-windows twins score a record 98 registrations, so we might see them on the table soon, while the veteran future classic BMW i3 delivered 75 registrations, a new year best, showing that the quirky hatchback still has some life in it.
But the real news regards 3 important BEVs that all landed last month. The Volkswagen ID.4’s younger and more attractive sibling, the Audi Q4 e-tron, scored 65 registrations in its landing month. The people’s car Dacia Spring debuted with 54 registrations. And the retro-futuristic hatchback that thinks it’s an SUV Hyundai Ioniq 5 also started its career, with a discreet 21 registrations, no doubt all demonstration units.
Looking at the 2021 ranking, the big news is the Skoda Enyaq rising to the leadership position in only its 3rd month on the market! The Czech station-wagon-disguised-as-an-SUV is now the most serious candidate to win this year’s Best Seller trophy.
A few positions down the table, there were a few more changes, with another new darling of the Dutch market, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, jumping 6 spots … to #6. Additionally, the Tesla Model 3 benefited from the end-of-quarter peak to climb into 7th.
Still within the top 10, a reference goes out to the thundering return of the Renault Zoe to the table, jumping to #10, while the BMW iX3 also joined the top 10, in #9, thus becoming the highest standing BMW on the table.
In the second half of the table, a mention goes out to the SAIC MG ZS EV joining the table in #16, and the Peugeot e-208 moving up one spot to #17.
Interestingly, the last 3 positions on the table belong to Volvo PHEV models, so they might be replaced soon by models like the #21 Polestar 2 or the #22 Peugeot e-2008, thus increasing the number of pure electrics on the table.
In the manufacturer ranking, Volvo (13%, down 3 percentage points) is still the #1 brand, but suffered a severe blow last month as their PHEVs were outsold by BEVs. Similarly, #2 BMW (11%, down 2 percentage points) also suffered from over-reliance on PHEVs.
A rising #3 Ford (8%, up 1 point) is cementing its podium status, but also rising #4 Skoda (7%, up 1 point) is looking to reach the podium too.
As for OEMs, Volkswagen Group (20%, up 1 point) gained a significant lead over #2 Geely-Volvo (14%, down 4 points). #3 BMW Group (12%, down 2 points) also lost charge.
Off the podium, we have Stellantis (11%) trying to keep the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance (11%, up 1 point) at bay, while at the same time, both automotive groups are waiting to benefit from the changing tides (BEVs’ return to form) and a chance to grab a presence on the podium.
