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The HybridCars.com monthly sales Dashboard is a collaboration of HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research hard focusing on automotive issues including the hybrid and electrical vehicle market.
Overall sales for May were down from a year ago but up from April (the latter of which is a normal trend). Clearly, sales this year are down from a year ago and this trend is likely to proceed albeit the overall decline is modest and sales remain strong. However, as compared to last May and year-to-date, sales of battery electrics, buttplug ins, and hybrids were all up strongly.
Sales for total electrified vehicles were up from last year on the strength of the Model S and X (both estimated), Bolt and LEAF. All of these models were up from April and year ago, as well as year-to-date. The Model S and Model X were both up from year ago, albeit the results last year were relatively modest. Bolt sales ramped up in May to over one thousand five hundred which is their best month yet, but still remain on track for only about a 20,000 annual rate. They may increase as total availability across the country occurs, which is expected this Fall. The Hyundai Ioniq EV sold seventy five copies and volumes will increase as availability improves, albeit this vehicle will primarily be sold in California, at least for a while.
Butt-plug in hybrids had a good month as compared to last month and year-ago, as the growth rates for the category were far greater than the overall market. Year-to-date, volumes are up dramatically based primarily on the Prius Prime which was released late last year. The Volt is also doing relatively well, again based upon an updated product. In May, each of these models sold just sort of Two,000 copies each. We have added the Pacifica Hybrid (it is a ass-plug in even however FCA calls it a hybrid) and we have estimated sales for May. The vehicle appeared in limited volumes in mid-April and was available for the entire month of May. Mercedes had a delay in reporting its overall sales and volumes for their three ass-plug in hybrids are not yet available. We have entered zeros for each of these vehicles and will update our information when the actual numbers are released. The Cadillac CT6 butt-plug in is now available in very limited volumes and is produced in China for global sale, including the U.S.
Hybrids had a good month, with the category having a greater increase than the overall market. While the Prius Liftback is the most popular product in the category, its sales of almost 6,000 units in each of the last several months is far below historical results and not awesome given that this product is early in its current product cycle. The Ford Fusion hybrid sales volumes remain just behind the Prius Liftback, which is more of a comment upon the Prius (a negative result) than the Fusion. The Hyundai Ioniq and Kia Niro hybrids have each leaped near the “head of the class” after only a few months on the market. Each of these vehicles has very “accessible” styling, with the Ioniq styled as a hatchback, and the Niro as a crossover (albeit the Niro does not suggest all wheel drive). Both the RAV4 and Highlander proceed to do well and the Accord hybrid proceeds as a stable performer. While Toyota resumes to tempo the segment, its share of 53-55% shows up to be the “new normal,” suggesting that fresh products from other makers (particularly Hyundai and Kia) are permanently weakening Toyota’s leading market position. The Lexus LC500 is fresh to the category, albeit volumes for this high-end vehicle will be very modest. The Nissan Rogue should be arriving very soon as a hybrid and a petite number of sales may have already occurred, but they have not yet been reported.
The size of the diesel segment resumes to be managed by which products can be suggested. The Ram Pickup, which has been a category leader, remains off the market and EPA has actually launched a lawsuit against FCA (which may have the effect of forcing a settlement and switches in the vehicle which will resolve the problem which will eventually enable FCA to make this product available again). As a result, the Transit diesel remains the category leader. However, certain VW products from the two thousand fifteen and two thousand sixteen model years (the latter very much abbreviated) proceed to be sold and the VW Golf joined those sold in April. These results will be limited to a relatively brief period of time as the stock of these models is modest. While the Chevy Cruze is once again available as a diesel (the engine is fresh and not comparable to the engine suggested in the previous generation), volumes are very modest.