Plug-In Electric Car Sales Cross 400,000 Globally In Three Years

In global terms, plug-in car sales are still a drop in the ocean.

That's to be expected--we've only had volume production models for the last three or four years. Disruptive products always take a little while to get going.

But global plug-in electric car sales have now topped 400,000 units--a figure expected to rise into the millions by 2016, if expected increases continue.

What the number alone doesn't tell you--but German research group ZSW notes (via Autoblog Green)--is that 400,000 units is around double the number we had a year ago.

That, in turn, was double the number of electric vehicles we had at the end of 2011 and start of 2012. No other market segment can boast such figures.

Though the figures include plug-in hybrid vehicles as well as pure battery electric cars, the numbers don't include regular hybrids, plug-in motorcycles or large vehicles like buses and trucks.

In terms of countries, the U.S. can hold its head up high, buying more plug-ins than any other country: 174,000 of them by the end of 2013. Japan (68,000) and China(45,000) are next up, with individual European countries following behind. The Netherlands alone touted 30,000 plug-ins by the end of 2013.

Topping the table of individual manufacturers is Nissan, which boasted Leaf sales of 90,000 units by the end of 2013. That number has since crossed 100,000 cars, and as April begins the total will be higher still.

General Motors is next up, carried by the Volt and to a lesser extent, its European Ampera cousin.

Toyota (fielding its Plug-In Prius), Tesla, PSA (Peugeot-Citroen), Ford and Renault follow, with Daimler, BMW and VW just scraping onto the list.

It's worth noting that the latter German duo are likely to see a spike in plug-in sales over the next few years--BMW will have its i3 and i8 models on the market, while Volkswagen and Audi launch the Volkswagen e-Golf, Golf GTE, e-Up electric city car and Audi's A3 Sportback e-tron.

While plug-in car sales are unlikely to double each year from now on, the numbers will certainly increase, likely hitting a million vehicles by the start of 2016.

That'll still be a drop in the ocean--there were already an estimated billion cars on the world's roads by 2011.

But a million plug-ins is better than no plug-ins at all--and combined fuel and emissions savings will be almost unimaginable.

Source: Green Car Reports

Repeat Performance: Chevy Volt is North America’s #1 Selling Plug-In Electric Vehicle For 2013

Chevy Volt is #1 in North America

With most of the vital sales numbers now in, we can definitively say that the Chevrolet Volt was America’s #1 selling plug-in vehicle for 2013.

Plug In or Gas Up…With the Volt the Choice is Yours

For the Volt, this is a repeat performance of last year when the electric Chevy was #1 in sales for plug-in vehicles.

We can further expand upon the #1 spot for the Volt by adding that it tops the North American sales charts too for both 2012 and 2013, as the Volt has continually been Canada’s best selling plug-in vehicle.

Our sales scorecard officially puts the Nissan LEAF in the #2 spot in terms of sales in the US for 2013 and the Tesla Model S grabs the #3 spot.

Here’s how the 2013 sales results play out in our book:

• Chevrolet Volt: 23,094
• Nissan LEAF: 22,610
• Tesla Model S: ~ 17,650

2012 Results:

• Chevrolet Volt: 23,491
• Toyota Prius PHV: 12,750
• Nissan LEAF: 9,819

2011 Results (excluding Tesla Roadster sales in US):

• Nissan LEAF: 9,674
• Chevrolet Volt: 7,671
• Mitsubishi i-MiEV: 80

Chrysler Gets On Board With Plug-Ins; Looks To Re-Start Electric Programs

It appears as though Chrysler has designs on re-starting their plug-in ambitions, as their corporate head-hunting site has put out the request to hire new engineers, according to their website ChryslerCareers.com as reported by the Automotive News.

This would mark the company’s second serious effort to get into the plug-in business; Fiat 500e notwithstanding.

Backstory on Chrysler’s Original Plug-In Dreams – ENVI

Chrysler’s Original ENVI Lineup Up Consisted Of A 2 Seat Sports Car, A SUV And A Mini-Van

Not so long ago, well actually an eternity ago in EV-years – almost 5 years, Chrysler was the envy (pun intended) of the plug-in vehicle community as their “ENVI” lineup of professionals seemingly churned out endless working plug-in prototypes, at least 4 of which wereproduction intended.

At the time I was writing at GM-Volt.com, and first speculated on the program’s death ahead of Fiat’s first ever “5 year plan” for the Pentastar brand.  It was also the first time in my career I found myself in the middle of a little media circus of people saying:

• the program was actually still alive and we at GM-Volt.com were off base
• or taking the opportunity to kick someone (Chrysler and EVs in general) who were down

It was kind of a lose-lose situation ultimately from our prospective of being EV-advocates,  but also not wanting to look foolishly in error either.

By mid 2009, Chrysler had plans for the Circuit EV (a 2 seat, all-electric sports car), a 40 mile extended range Jeep Patriot and a 40 mile extended range Town & Country van. Even a Jeep Wrangler and a concept sedan (200C) started to enter corporate plans.

Chrysler promised one of the models by 2010, with three more to follow by the end of 2012, and we have enjoyed all 4 of them thoroughly since they came to market so many years ago.

What Could Have Been: Dodge’s Circuit EV With 200 Miles Of Range Might Have Offered Some High End Competition For Tesla

Unfortunately, the last anyone heard from the “ENVI” team was on their corporate blog (don’t click it – it’s long gone) on May 7th, 2009 – ironically the same day the company when bankrupt.

Once Fiat took over Chrysler and they were none to keen to continue the project, and no EVs from the project were heard from again.  On the prospect of electric vehicles, new Lord of Chrysler Sergio Marchionne said:

“I think electric vehicles are going to struggle,” and that perhaps they would only account for “1 to 2 percent” of Chrysler’s business by the middle of the next decade.”

And when you control the company, self-fulfilling prophecies like this are the easiest to fill.  Not too much later a Chrysler spokesperson officially ended Chrysler’s dreams of being the world’s plug-in leader, saying:

“ENVI is (being) absorbed into the normal vehicle development program”

We wrapped up the story, and never looked back.

Until now…

As Part Of A Separate $123 Million Dollar DoE Program 132 Plug-Ins (109 PHEV Ram Trucks & 23 Vans) Where Ultimatly Delivered By The ENVI Team -  Some Of Those Trucks (3) Caught Fire And Were Recalled Last Year

The Chrysler jobs site says they are now looking to develop both stop-start systems and electric vehicles, as well as seeking out engineers to work with suppliers on EV technology.

While Chrysler still doesn’t have any short-term projects on the horizon, powertrain spokesman Eric Mayne said to Automotive News that the job postings are consistent with future product plans.

“We’ve said all along that we’ll need electrification to comply with the  regulations going forward, and any hiring that we do on that front is consistent  with that plan.  The range of electrification technologies we’ve  said that we’ll adopt starts with start-stop and goes through EVs.”

The outlet concluded the postings “indicate Chrysler is actively planning plug-in hybrids, mild  hybrids and electric vehicles,” and from looking at them ourselves, we would tend to agree.

Now, about that 40 mile extended range van Chrysler?  …we have been waiting a really long time!

Automotive News (sub)

NISSAN BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF PORTUGUESE BATTERY PLANT

Plant will supply batteries for Alliance's electric vehicles in Europe

CACIA, Portugal (Feb. 11, 2011) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has begun construction of a state-of-the-art, advanced lithium-ion battery plant in Cacia, Portugal to support the rollout of electric vehicles from the Renault-Nissan Alliance in Europe.

The battery plant is being built on a 30,450-square meter plot of land belonging to the Renault CACIA gearbox assembly plant following an investment of 156 million euros. The facility will start operations in December 2012 and will have a total capacity of 50,000 units a year. About 200 jobs are expected to be created by the new plant.

"The Cacia plant will be one of three facilities in Europe supplying batteries to electric vehicles produced by the Alliance, starting with the 100% electric Nissan LEAF. Together, the three plants will enable the Alliance to rollout electric vehicles in Europe on an unprecedented scale, bringing the world one step closer to a zero-emission future," said Nissan's Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Last April, Nissan began construction of a battery plant in Sunderland, United Kingdom, which will start operations in early 2012 with an annual capacity of 60,000 units. Renault's battery plant in Flins, France will have a total production capacity of 100,000 units a year.

Philippe Klein, Renault's Executive Vice-President of Corporate Planning, Product Planning and Programs, said: "The inauguration of the Cacia battery plant is another concrete step in the electric mobility revolution spearheaded by the Alliance. The plant will supply batteries for one of the four electric vehicles in the Renault Z.E. range, Fluence Z.E., which will be launched in autumn 2011."

Renault's gearbox plant in Cacia, 244 km north of Lisbon, was chosen as the site for the new battery facility thanks to its easy access to road, rail, sea and air transportation. The project also benefitted from support from the Portuguese government who shares the Alliance's vision for zero-emission mobility.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance aims to be a global leader in zero-emission mobility. By 2015, the Alliance will have the capacity to produce 500,000 electric vehicles and batteries at its plants around the world, making it the only automotive group in the world to build electric vehicles and batteries on this scale.

The Alliance is taking a comprehensive approach towards the mass-marketing of electric vehicles which encompasses both the product and the infrastructure. To date, Renault and Nissan have entered into more than 90 partnerships with governments, municipal authorities and companies around the world to put in place the necessary incentives and infrastructure for the successful adoption of such vehicles.

In 2008, Portugal became the first country in Europe to partner with the Alliance for zero-emission mobility. The country is building an extensive network of charging stations and this summer expects to have installed 1,350 units across the nation, including 50 quick chargers　

Nissan delivered nine Nissan LEAFs to the Portuguese electric mobility consortium MOBI.E and one to the Portuguese government in December ahead of the car's official launch to individual customers in Europe shortly.