When applied to vehicles, the word plug-in refers to both the fully electric power supply (Bev for battery electric vehicle) and the rechargeable hybrid identified by the acronym Phev. In 2021, both engines made yet another quantum leap, so much so that the Bev + Phev pairing recorded a 108% growth on the previous year with 6.75 million vehicles sold, equal to 8% of the market share. Despite the geopolitical adversities and the shortage of raw materials, the trend continued also in the first quarter of 2022 with 2 million plug-in registrations (against 1.1 million from the same period in 2021) cementing the leadership of five large industrial groups . At the end of March 2022, the names in the top-five held a 51.7% share of the overall Bev + Phev shares. The ranking numbers taken from the site insiedeevs.com refer to the number of plug-in cars sold in the first quarter of the current year.
1: Tesla – 310,411 units
The Tesla case study remains at the top of all electrified rankings thanks to the two best-sellers Model 3 and Model Y. The growth recorded in the first quarter of the year by the Californian company – which holds a global share in the plug-in category close to 16 percent – the arrival on the market of the new crossover with 530 km of autonomy has contributed significantly, while the renewed production capacities of the American and European gigafactories will allow Musk to meet ever-increasing demands.
2: Byd – 285,849
Virtually unknown to motorists of the Old Continent, BYD Auto is a prophet in its homeland (China) with six different full electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Particularly significant in the ranking was the contribution of the two Phev models called Song Pro and Qin Plus which, together with the innovative Blade batteries, allowed the Shenzhen group founded in 2003 to lead electric mobility in the largest national market in the world. In the global sales of Bev + Phev vehicles in Q1 of 2022, BYD holds a share of 14.3%.
3: Saic – 170,454
The acronym Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, announces the operations of a giant listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. In addition to the joint-venture with General Motors and the desire to relaunch the MG brand in Europe with full-electric models, Saic owns Wuling which, producing the successful Chinese city-car Hong Guang Mini for 4,000 euros (28,800 yuan) and 40,000 models sold per month, ranks third globally as a share (8.5 percent) of Bev + Phev delivered in the first quarter of 2022.
4: Volkswagen Group – 154,824
The transversal brands of the group that include Skoda, Seat, Cupra, VW, Audi, Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini, are preparing the electric offensive with a 2022 rich novelty. In the first quarter of the year, the Bev + Phev sales share stood at 7.7 percent and with the imminent start-up of new production plants (also in the USA) specific to zero-emission mobility, the share could reach double digits .
5: Geely Volvo – 110,253
If in recent years the Gothenburg-based company has found its reference market in China, the reason must also and above all be sought in the joint-venture with Geely Auto Group. Founded in 1997 in Hangzhou, the group has scaled the industry by acquiring large percentages of brands such as Lotus Cars, London Electric Vehicle Company and Proton. At the end of March 2022, the Geely-Volvo share in the plug-in category reached 5.6%, ending the quarter just ahead of the Hyundai Motor Group.