Yes, the EV disruption that many of us have been dreaming of for years is finally coming to pass, and the evidence is that, despite everything that is going on right now—pandemics, war, inflation, material shortages, etc.—global plugin vehicle registrations increased by 54% in June 2022 compared to June 2021, reaching a record 913,000 units! Imagine telling our past selves what has happened in the last two years in June 2020, and they would freak out completely. Sales have resumed their prior growth rate thanks to China’s production being back on track, and I wouldn’t be surprised if September ends up being the first month the globe registers one million plug-in cars! Expect the end of Q3 to be another time of celebration since China (definitely), Europe (likely), and the USA (maybe) all had record months in September.
Plugins had a record-breaking month in June, accounting for 16% of the total car market, while BEVs alone attained 12% of the market! BEV sales have now internationally surpassed two digits for the first time. That should be seen as a remarkable outcome in light of the significant declines in the market as a whole and the fact that plugless hybrids (HEVs) were down for the third consecutive month. Peak HEV sales will occur in 2022, and the sales decline for this type of powertrain will begin in 2023.
BEV sales increased by 65% year over year in June, outpacing PHEV sales, which declined by 29% due to weaker demand in Europe. Nevertheless, both technologies experienced record months, and the plugin share for the year as a whole increased by one point to 12% (8.8% BEV). This is all wonderful, but since the internet likes lists, here are the top 20 electric car sales leaders:
The Tesla Model Y returned to the leadership position has an all-time record when compared to other monthly best sellers. The closest an EV has ever been to recording a six-digit performance was with its nearly 98,000 deliveries. And anticipate that the Model Y will surpass the 100,000 registration mark in September.
With almost 53,000 registrations, the Tesla Model 3 comes in second. This mediocre performance can be attributed to the covid-derived lockdown that occurred in Giga Shanghai throughout the quarter. In the upcoming quarter, anticipate it will stabilize at more normal levels. The Wuling Mini EV came in third, consistently registering 46,000 units.
With four cars from the Shenzhen carmaker placing from fourth to seventh, the BYD Armada is right behind the podium. The #4 Song Plus (BEV PHEV) set a record with 31,787 registrations; the #5 Han (BEV PHEV) set another milestone with 25,356 registrations; and the #7 Yuan Plus finished the month with another record score of 16,764 registrations. These were the highlights. Six BYDs are currently ranked among the top 20 globally, including the #11 BYD Dolphin and the #18 BYD Tang.
Other record-setters were listed on the table. The highlight of another successful month for the Chinese automaker, which also ranked the Aion S in #16 was the #10 GAC Aion Y, which received a record 11,801 registrations.
With 9,149 registrations, the #15 Hozon Neta V is also stepping up deliveries while Great Walls ORA Good Cat and XPengs P7 made a comeback. The small hatchback, known as the “Good Cat,” made headlines when a few hundred of its 8,731 units in June were registered in Thailand.
Due to a strong showing in China, the VW ID.4 rose to #8 with an almost record 16,764 registrations. As a result, it was the legacy OEM’s best-selling model last month.
There was a lot to discuss among the top 20. The Peugeot e-208 (5,765 registrations) and its close relative, the Fiat 500e, both set records (7,338 units). The two standout players for Stellantis are aiming for rankings that will put them in the top 20. The VW ID also had its best performance of the year (7,044 registrations). It undoubtedly wants to replicate the five-digit performances from the previous year.
Additionally, SAIC’s MG eZS EV and MG eHS PHEV also set records for registrations, with the former receiving 6,376 and 7,318 respectively. These achievements were largely attributed to Europe, but also included hundreds of sales in Israel (eHS) and India (eZS). The Dongfengs Fengshen E-Series also performed well, registering a record 7,536 units, the most of which were sold to taxi operators.
One standout among the freshly ramped-up models’ production is the new BYD Destroyer o5 midsize sedan. 7,464 people registered for it. Consequently, a seventh BYD model will be available soon (and the Model 3-fighter Seal, the little Sea Gull, and the Model Y-fighter Sea Lion are yet to land ). Additionally, the midsize AITO M5 EREV SUV, supported by Huawei, reached 7,021 units. In the second part of the year, both are anticipated to achieve five-digit scores.
The top spots in the year-to-date (YTD) table stayed the same. However, it’s important to note that the Model 3 now has a lead of little over 11,000 units over the third-place Wuling Mini EV, protecting Tesla’s #1 and #2 positions on the model table.
The first adjustment occurred at position #7, where the Volkswagen ID.4 moved up three spaces to become the sole historical OEM model in the top 13 spots. The Li Xiang One is also on the upswing, moving up to #8. A poor month for the BYD Tang allowed the startup model to gain ground and overtake it as the top-selling full-size SUV.
The compact BYD is attempting to unseat the VW ID.4 from the top spot in the compact category during the second half of the year, and it has moved up two spots in the lower half of the table, this time to #12.
The GAC Aion Y, who benefited from a record score in June, is our last example. (Go MPV team!) The Aion S sedan, the other GAC car on the list, also advanced two points, to position #19. It’s interesting to note that only four brands—BYD (6 models), Tesla (Model Y and Model 3), and Chery—have more than one representative at the table (QQ Ice Cream and eQ1).
The following differences can be seen when comparing the present table to the situation one year ago:
With about 244,000 units, or 10% more than this year, the Tesla Model 3 was clearly in the lead. The disruption in Shanghai does, in fact, explain a portion of this reduction, but not all of it. The Model 3 has reached its production capacity, and the Model Y is really where Tesla’s growth is coming from. The Wuling Mini EV dropped from second to third, losing a position, but its sales increased 11% year over year. The sales of the Tesla Model Y increased by 130% YoY, propelling it from third place to the top spot today. The BYD Han was fourth last year and is now sixth, but last year, the Han was the only BYD on the table; this year, there are now six! The Li Xiang One moved up three spots from where it was ranked #11 to where it is currently. The VW ID.4 continues to be the top-selling legacy OEM model from a year ago. The distinction is that while it increased its sales by 66% and was ranked fifth in June 2021, it is currently only ranked seventh. In fact, among the top 20, legacy OEM models are getting harder to find. A year ago, they had nine representatives (VW ID.4, VW ID.3, Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf, Kia Niro EV, Volvo XC40 PHEV, Toyota RAV4 PHEV, BMW 5-Series PHEV, and Ford Escape/Kuga PHEV), but now there are just four (the same VW ID.4 as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Ford Mustang Mach-E). However, Chinese EVs increased from 7 representatives a year ago to 14 at present, double their numbers.
BYD resumed its record-breaking streak in June with close to 134,000 registrations, but this time it wasn’t enough to defeat Tesla, which had its customary end-of-quarter surge and shipped more than 157,000 vehicles. In third place, SGMW completed the podium.
Volkswagen is improving below the podium. With 42,808 registrations, it was able to finish the month in fourth place. With more over 29,000 registrations, SAIC achieved its second consecutive record month and placed sixth. Two other Chinese automakers that were on record streaks after it were #7 GAC with 24,165 registrations and #8 Chery with 23,014 registrations.
There were many surprises in the second half of the table. Numerous scores set records, including Dongfeng finishing in position 11 with a record 19,854 registrations, Changan in position 14 with 15,186 registrations, and Hozon in position 19 with 13,179 registrations. Geely’s delivery of 19,728 units set the most exceptional record performance. As a result, it was able to rank #12 The dormant giant of China is waking up.
#15 XPeng and #17 Renault were two additional brands that made a return to the list of top sellers. The achievement of beating off Peugeot to reenter the top 20 was particularly satisfying for the French automaker.
NIO (12,377 units) and Leap Motor, two Chinese companies, deserve a mention outside the top 20. (11,259 units). They each achieved records. Jeep, meanwhile, achieved its highest performance in a year (11,650 units) and may soon join the competition for a top 20 slot.
BYD maintained its top position in the YTD chart despite Tesla’s end-of-quarter surge, holding a lead of 76,000 units that could be crucial as the race nears its conclusion.
Even if BYD loses to Tesla, it will be the first time since 2018 that someone has been able to challenge Tesla’s dominance in the market, which is only a good thing for a more developed market.
The SGMW joint venture is comfortably in third place below these two, who are definitely in a league of their own. Volkswagen, however, overtook BMW below it, and with production restrictions in Volkswagen plants anticipated to loosen significantly, the stage will be set for the Wolfsburg brand to pursue SGMW in the second half of the year and attempt to take the final podium spot.
With SAIC currently trailing Mercedes by just 2,000 cars, the Shanghai-based manufacturer may overtake the German automaker by the end of August.
The rising Chery and GAC, which climbed to #9 and #11, respectively, were the standouts among the remaining top 20, while Geely climbed three spots to #16. Geely is anticipated to move up a few spots in the upcoming months.
Regarding the top 20, Great Wall climbed to #19 while XPeng reached #17. The latter instance was detrimental to Ford, who is now less than 1,000 units behind the surging #21 Hozon. Will Hozon join the list of Chinese brands as number eleven?
When comparing the current rankings to those from a year ago, BYD jumped from fourth to the top spot; the Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai climbed three and four spots, respectively, to positions #8 and #10, largely due to the new Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5; GAC climbed six positions to position #11 thanks to its dynamic duo of the Aion S and Aion Y; and Changan climbed five spots, to position #15.
None of the top four Chinese manufacturers—#9 Chery, #14 Dongfeng, #16 Geely, and #17 XPeng—were in the top 20 a year ago.
Examining registrations by OEM, first. With a 15.5% market share at the conclusion of the first quarter and a 1.2 percentage point lead over BYD, Tesla was in the lead. BYD is currently in first place with a 15.4% share, down from 15.6% in May. With a 13.6% share, up from 12.6% but down 1.9 points from Q1, Tesla is in second place. BYD rose from 14.2% to 15.4% in the same time frame.
Volkswagen Group (8%) and SAIC (8.6%) stayed in third and fourth place, respectively, with the Shanghai automaker’s market share rising by 0.1% from Q1 to Q2. The German OEM increased from 7.8% in the first quarter to 8% in the second.
Another position shift occurred in the fifth spot as compared to the previous month, with HyundaiKia falling to seventh place (5.4%, down from 5.8% in May). It was surpassed by the new GeelyVolvo in fifth rank (5.6%) and the Stellantis in sixth place (5.5%).
There are notable contrasts between the top 5 of H1 2022 and what was happening a year ago:
The biggest change is undoubtedly due to BYD, which shot up to the top spot from #6 while gaining 9.5% of the market. BYD ousted Tesla from the top spot after it lost 1.6% of the market share compared to the same period in 2017. Tesla wasn’t the only company losing market share; in the past year, #3 SAIC lost 2.5% of its market share and #4 Volkswagen Group lost 5.4%. Combined with Tesla’s losses, this lends some support to my theory that, contrary to popular belief, EVs won’t result in a higher share concentration among fewer OEMs but rather the exact reverse. Expect the number of EV manufacturers to grow, with many of them coming from unexpected areas (such as Vietnam’s Vinfast), as EVs are easier to manufacture than ICE vehicles. As a result, the top EV manufacturers will have a smaller market share in an established EV market than the main automakers did in the ICE period. BMW Group and Stellantis were in the top 5 a year ago. This last one is still in striking distance, behind #5 GeelyVolvo by only 5,000 units, but BMW not really.
Limiting OEM registrations to only BEVs, at the end of Q1, Tesla was in the lead with a 21.6% share, outpacing SAIC by more than 10%. Tesla continues to hold the top spot, but its 19% market share decreased by 2.6 points from Q1 to Q2. BYD has surpassed SAIC (10.8%) to take over second place with a share of 11%, up from 10.1% in the first quarter.
Volkswagen Group (7.3%, up from 6.9% in Q1) and HyundaiKia (5.6%) maintained their positions as the fourth and fifth largest automakers, respectively, while GeelyVolvo (#6) is poised to move up to catch the Korean group as it tries to crack the top five.
The leader Tesla lost 3.7% of its market share, SAIC lost 3.7%, and Volkswagen Group lost 3.4% when comparing the current ranking to what occurred a year ago.
So who did all of these losses benefit? BYD, indeed, once more. The Shenzhen manufacturer advanced from fourth place with 5.5% share a year ago to second place right now with 11% share. a 5.5% increase in market share in just a year!
By June 2023, the Chinese manufacturer should be competing with Tesla for the BEV championship if sales and manufacturing keep growing at the rate they have over the past year.
I’ll make one further observation regarding BYD’s seemingly perplexing approach of offering three different models in the same market segment, as is the case with midsize sedans (where it will have the Qin Plus, Seal and Destroyer 05 PHEV).
Someone close to me brought up the concept that all three models were appealing to various Chinese demographic groups:
The Qin Plus is targeted towards an older, more patriotic demographic known as Conservatives or the MCGA crowd. Younger, urban, and highly educated people, also known as Liberals or Snowflakes, are drawn to The Seal. The Fast and the Furious audience is the target market for The Destroyer 05. I’m not sure whether I agree completely, but it gave me some ideas:
If Lincoln released an Abraham pickup truck, it might win over Republicans (or large sedan). A large seven-seat SUV barge named Mary Ann would be a good complement to it. Dodge currently has the Charger, which is a great name for an electric sports car. The company might also introduce the Dodge Capacitor, a seven-seat SUV that would create a nice trio of electric vehicles with the Charger and Challenger. They’d be popular with fans of the Fast and the Furious movies. If Chrysler wanted to make some extremely lovely EV cars that may appeal to liberals, could they reclaim the names Airflow and Airstream? Jeep might target the MAGA crowd with a few US-specific EV vehicles, such as the Jeep Insurgent (although the Dodge Insurgent also sounds cool), a PHEV pickup truck based on the Gladiator that comes equipped with firearms concealed in the flatbed. For such times when the drivers would be waiting for the call while off-grid in the wilderness, it might also include Vehicle-to-X functionality. Alternatively, there’s the Jeep Commander-In-Chief, a Jeep Commander XL with a powerful V8, gold accents all over the cabin, and PHEV capabilities for when you need to quietly leave the crowd you managed to mobilize. Why can’t Buick have an Electra if General Motors allows Chevrolet to have a Volt? If you make it a compact-to-midsize crossover, Liberals might love it. Conservatives must look elsewhere in the GM portfolio now that Cadillac has been revived as an electric vehicle brand, so why not the GMC Hummer line? I can already picture it: a Terminator-style Hummer! It might be a Jeep Wrangler-style car built to compete with the Jeep Insurgent, only more radical and pricey! Chevy is the last. How do they keep names with names like Volt and Spark unused? Do you value the unique reporting and cleantech news coverage on CleanTechnica? Consider becoming an Patreon patron or a CleanTechnica member, supporter, technician, or ambassador. Don’t miss a cleantech story, will ya? Subscribe to daily news updates from CleanTechnica by email. Or follow us on Google News ! Want to advertise with CleanTechnica, send us a tip, or propose a speaker for our podcast CleanTech Talk? You can reach us here.
