Global Plug-in Sales for 2017-Q4 and the Full Year (prelim.)

With over 95% of December data collected, we can already make a preliminary analisys of the 2017 Global plug-in vehicle sales. There were around  1.2 million units being registered last year, 57 % higher than 2016. These include all global BEV and PHEV passenger cars sales, light trucks in USA/Canada and light commercial vehicle in Europe. In 2017, 66 % of sales were pure electric (BEV) and 34 % were plug-in hybrids (PHEV). All-electric vehicles have been winning share, as the BEV-friendly Chinese market continues to win importance.

Growth rates were influenced by the booming Chinese NEV market, with the USA and Europe following it, albeit with some distance. In Japan, the Toyota Prius Prime PHEV was an instant best-seller and, together with the Q4 launch of the new Nissan Leaf, plug-in sales went up by 149 %. Globally, December was another sales record, with over 170 000 units delivered worldwide, another 17 % higher than the previous all-time-high in November. In December the global plug-in share touched the 2 % mark for the first time, following consistently strong increases during the last 5 months of the year. The global share for the complete year of 2017 stands at nearly 1,3 %.

For 2018 we expect a sales increase to 1,9 million units, boosted by strong EV adoption in China and mass production of the long awaited Tesla Model-3. By the end of 2018 we expect over 5 million plug-in cars and light trucks to be in use, worldwide.