USA – 2nd Quarter 2015
Q2 sales of plug-in vehicles were 4 % below 2nd quarter sales of 2014. In June, the decline was strongest, 14 % to be precise. The year-to-date sales volumes of are 1% lower than a year ago. It is not just petrol prices, 30 - 40 % lower than in June 2014, causing the negative trend: The market yearns for the new and improved plug-in vehicles, announced for long.
SUVs missing
The current composition of PEV sales by segment is not exactly typical for the US market. For instance do US vehicle sales contain at least 30% SUVs, a void within plug-ins, where only the Porsche Cayenne PHEV is available. Tesla Model X and Mitsubishi Outlander are likely to change this picture considerably when the wait is over. We expect high sales for both of them. Model X deliveries are said to start in late September and at least the first 3 months of production is already reserved by customers. The Mitsubishi Outlander launch in the US is still some time off. Rumors are ranging from "within a year" to "next spring".
On the other hand and thanks to Model S, BMW i3 and Ford C-Max Energy, plug-ins are highly over-represented in the large/luxury E-Segement and within MPVs. The D-Segment (mid-sized cars) has just one high selling plug-in entry, the Ford Fusion Energy. D-Segment sales (8 %) are under-represented in the plug-in space, compared to the overall markets (ca 20%). »Register (for FREE) below or log in to read the full article, with detailed H1 sales and outlook.
Plug-in share below last year's
PEV shares have been flat since June 2014 and for Q2, they end up well below last years, in an otherwise buoyant vehicle market. The slump is related to the wait for coming models with better value (Volt II), Cross-over type (Tesla Model X), affordability (Bolt) and all electric range (generally). The previous US PEV market leader Nissan Leaf is on the market since 2011 and starts showing its age. Nissan has announced an upgrade for Leaf battery capacity, increasing the range by around 50 km (30 miles). While it will improve sales later in the year, it has some intending buyers waiting for the improved version.
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