Bolt Surpasses Prius Prime Sales in June; EV Sales Up 38% YTD Over 2016

Analyzing EV sales numbers from InsideEVs Monthly Sales Scorecard for the month of June and YTD 2017 uncovers three key trends so far this year:

EV Sales Are Trending Above 1% of Total US Auto Sales

EV sales as a percentage of total US auto sales have surpassed 1% a few times in previous years, but fluctuated above and below this arbitrary “Mason-Dixon Line.” EV sales might now be permanently above 1%, however, with two consecutive months and 3 out of the last 4 achieving this level.

With a slowing of non EV sales combined with the Chevrolet Bolt continuing to roll out to dealers across the US, the Volt, Prius Prime and Nissan LEAF all showing strong sales – the US may never see EV sales below 1% again. And with Tesla Model 3 production about to begin, a new Nissan LEAF with longer range and increased awareness of EVs, we could reach at least 1.25% by year end and 1.5% of total auto sales in Q2 of 2018.

EV US Sales-Market Share-Jan-June 2017

EV Sales Are Up 38% YTD Over 2016

June was a solid EV sales month at 17,182, but still about 1,400 units less than the highpoint in March of 18,542. A key trend so far in 2017 is that each month this year has been significantly higher than the same month in 2016. This is an important trend if it continues as it hasn’t always been the case in previous years.

Most noteworthy is that YTD EV sales are up 38% over 2016. If this trend continues for the rest of 2017, then year end sales would be roughly 218,887, roughly 60,000 more units than the 158,614 in 2016.

EV Sales 2017 YTD vs 2016

Chevrolet Bolt Surpasses Toyota Prius Prime in June – First Month Ever

June saw strong sales from all of the top contenders – Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Prime, Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan LEAF. The one milestone in June is that sales of the Bolt surpassed that of the Prius Prime for the first time since both cars hit the market in late 2016.

The Volt and Prius Prime are still well ahead of the Bolt so far, but the Bolt’s trailing 2 month average is only about 150-175 units behind these two key competitors. Unless Tesla Model 3 deliveries impact Bolt sales in the coming months, the Chevrolet BEV could catch up to the Volt and Prius Prime.

Vehicle
Jan 2017
Feb 2017
Mar 2017
April 2017
May 2017
June 2017
July 2017
August 2017
2017 YTD
Monthly Median
Trailing 2 Months Average
Tesla Model S*90017503450112516202350142521501477016851788
Chevrolet Volt161118202132180718171745151814451389517761482
Toyota Prius Prime136613621618181919081619164518201315716321733
Tesla Model X*750800275071517302200165015751217016131613
Chevrolet Bolt1162952978129215661642197121071167014292039
Nissan LEAF7721037147810631392150612831154968512191219
Ford Fusion Energi606837100290510007027035755837703
Ford C-MAX Energi4736396627459509368445249745890
Fiat 500e*7525907855416654954754303590485
BMW i33823187035165065676013593516584

Data Source: InsideEVs, *Estimates; Chart: EVAdoption.com

The rest of this summer will probably not see much movement among the top 10 EV sales standings as consumers wait for the roll out of the Model 3 and updated LEAF. However, we might see some aggressive lease deals from Nissan to move a lot of old LEAFs and GM to move Bolts in advance of the Model 3 rollout. Buckle up, it should be a fun rest of 2017!

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Loren McDonald

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