Global Plug-in Vehicle Sales for 2017 H1 + July, August Update

2017 Global plug-in vehicle sales until August were over  649 000 units,  46 % higher than the same period of 2016. These include all global BEV and PHEV passenger cars sales, light trucks in USA/Canada and light commercial vehicle in Europe. In Q2, 64 % of sales were pure electric (BEV) and 36 % were plug-in hybrids (PHEV). The preliminary August results show a 61 % increase over August 2016, with 102 300 units sold, 67 % BEV and 33 % PHEV.

Q2 growth rates were influenced by the accelerating Chinese market, with the USA and Europe following it closely. The Toyota Prius Prime PHEV became an instant best-seller in Japan and pulled that market up. While August is seen as a slow selling month in some large Europe markets, surging sales in other markets, like China, Canada or South Korea, propelled sales to near record levels, with the 102 300 units recorded in August being only 500 units below the all-time record, set last December.

Going forward, exponential growth is expected in the US market, with the ramp up of the Tesla Model 3, while the nationwide availability of the GM Bolt and the introduction of the new Nissan Leaf will also contribute to make it the fastest growing market.