2025: PHEV sales down in China, stable in Europe and the USA
- 詳細
2025: PHEV sales down in China, stable in Europe and the USA
- Global sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reached 2,024,770 units in the first four months of 2025, representing a 29% increase compared to the first four months of 2024, when the sales volume was only 1,571,187 units. This represents nearly half a million additional PHEVs registered in the first four months of 2025, while the global automotive market is stable, due to uncertainties regarding the economic situation caused by the protectionist tendencies of states wishing to challenge international trade rules.
- In this context, China sees PHEV sales reach 1,330,079 registered units in the first four months of 2025, compared to 1,026,071 in the first four months of 2024, approaching 15% of the local market share.
- Europe ranks second behind China, with 365,607 PHEVs registered in the first four months of 2025, compared to 327,558 in the first four months of 2024, representing an 8.2% share of the local market.
- The United States ranks third, with 114,623 PHEVs registered in the first four months of 2025, compared to 107,373 in the first four months of 2024, representing a 2.1% share of the local market.
- While PHEV market share in China is declining in the first four months of 2025, it remains stable in Europe, albeit at a very different level. The number of PHEV sales in the US is much lower than in Europe, confirming that this type of engine is not very popular in the United States.
- In Japan, the PHEV market share is declining this year, while it was already extremely low (15,544 units representing 1.1% market share over four months of 2025).
2025: BEV sales up in China, stable in Europe, down in the USA
- 詳細
2025: BEV sales up in China, stable in Europe, down in the USA
- Global sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reached 3,650,636 units in the first four months of 2025, representing an increase of 37.7% compared to the first four months of 2024, when the figure did not exceed 2,650,288 units. This represents an additional one million BEVs registered in the first four months of 2025, while the global automotive market is stable, due to uncertainties regarding the economic situation caused by the protectionism of States wishing to challenge the rules of international trade.
- In this context, China is increasing its lead over other countries with 2,109,406 BEVs in the first four months of 2025, compared to 1,351,906 in the first four months of 2024, approaching 25% of the local market share.
- Europe ranks second behind China, with 758,185 BEVs registered in the first four months of 2025, compared to 593,301 in the first four months of 2024, representing a 17% share of the local market.
- The United States ranks third, with 407,756 BEVs registered in the first four months of 2025, compared to 368,918 in the first four months of 2024, representing a 7.6% share of the local market.
- While BEV market share in the first four months of 2025 is increasing in China and appears stable in Europe, it is declining in the United States month after month, as if the Trump administration's anti-BEV rhetoric is becoming reality.
- In Japan, BEV market share is also declining this year, although it remains very low (16,290 units representing 1.2% of the market share over four months of 2025). Japanese carmakers will have a lot to do to reverse this trend.
Smart expands its battery electric vehicles range with the #5 SUV
- 詳細
Smart expands its battery electric vehicles range with the #5 SUV
- The Smart brand – wholly owned by Mercedes until 2023 – had produced and marketed the small city car Fortwo (A-segment, 75,000 sales per year on average) from 1998 to 2024 under two successive generations (the first 2.50 m long and the second 2.70 m long) and the Forfour (A-segment, 30,000 sales per year on average) from 2004 to 2021 under two generations (the first 3.75 m long and the second 3.50 m long).
- Since 2023 Smart is evolving towards the production and sales of more expensive and therefore more profitable, larger and battery electric cars, produced in China in a Geely factory, a Chinese carmaker which at the same time became the owner of 50% of the share of the Smart brand, just like Mercedes, which also owns 50%.
- After the launch of the 4.27 m long electric Smart #1 (B-segment) and then the 4.40 m long electric Smart #3 (C-segment), here is the even more imposing Smart #5, measuring 4.69 m long (D-segment). All three models are based on the same platform, which they share with some Volvo models and other models from different brands within the Geely group , such as Lynk&Co for example.
- The Smart #5 is a mid-size, all-electric SUV that competes with the Ford Explorer EV, Skoda Enyaq EV, and Renault Scénic EV. The design is by Mercedes and is reminiscent of some of the German carmaker's SUVs. The Smart #5 has the advantage of having two architecture to choose from, one 400V already used on the #1 and #3, the other 800V which is completely new. The electric motor delivers 340 hp (254 kW) associated with a 74.4 kWh LFP battery (range: 465 km) or a 94 kWh NMC battery (range: 590 km). The weight of the car is between 2,200 kg to 2,370 kg depending on the version.
Chinese car sales reached 208,000 units in Europe in the first 4 months of 2025
- 詳細
Chinese car sales reached 208,000 units in Europe in the first 4 months of 2025
- Despite the additional tariffs applied to battery electric Chinese cars, sales of thermal and electrified (BEV, PHEV, F-HEV) Chinese cars in Europe (30 countries = EU + United Kingdom + Switzerland + Norway) continued to increase in 2025, with 208,000 units sold in the first four months of 2025, compared to 115,000 in the first four months of 2024, representing an increase of more than 80% over the period. At this rate, sales of Chinese cars in Europe (not including European cars imported from China) could represent between 600,000 and 700,000 units over the whole of 2025, compared to 417,000 in 2024, 368,000 in 2023, 200,000 in 2022, 82,000 in 2021 and 36,000 in 2020. It should be remembered that some Chinese models are now coming out of factories located in Europe (CKD from Spain, Italy) but still in small proportions.
- Sales of Chinese battery electric vehicles (BEVs) increased by 40% in the first four months of 2025 , compared to the first four months of 2024. full-hybrid (F-HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles saw the highest sales growth, but their cumulative sales volume represents less than the sales volume of BEVs: 66,305 units compared to 68,236 in the first four months of 2025. Chinese pure thermal vehicles (including MHEVs) represent the largest share of Chinese car sales in 2025, with 74,505 units, up 24% from 2024.
- Overall, Chinese car sales in Europe are divided into three relatively comparable parts : on the one hand, thermal cars, on the other hand, battery electric cars and finally, hybrid cars (HEV and PHEV).
Ford's Cologne plant activity appears to be seriously compromised
- 詳細
Ford's Cologne plant activity appears to be seriously compromised
- Following the European Commission's directive concerning the ban of new thermal vehicles in 2035 in Europe, the Ford plant in Cologne (Germany) has been converted in 2024 from the production of thermal vehicles (Ford Fiesta) to the production of battery electric vehicles (Ford Explorer, Ford Capri).
- But the production level is not the same as during the Fiesta era. For 2024, Inovev estimates the production volume of the Cologne plant at 20,000 units, compared to 140,000 vehicles in 2020 or 239,000 in 2019. These 20,000 units correspond to the start of production of the Ford Explorer and Ford Capri. For 2025, this volume could represent a volume of 40,000 to 50,000 units according to Inovev, based on the 10,500 units already registered between in the first quarter of 2025. This represents a fifth of the carmaker's objectives, which were 250,000 vehicles per year, and half of Inovev's forecasts (see Auto Analyse 2024-19 of September 9, 2024).which are 100,000 vehicles per year.
- It is clear that the Explorer and Capri models are not meeting the expected success, particularly due to their high prices (40,000 to 54,000 euros for the Explorer and 42,500 to 56,500 euros for the Capri) which do not correspond in any way to what Ford had previously offered in the mid-range.
- As a result, the Ford plant in Cologne seems truly threatened, especially since no other models are planned for this factory, competition will increase and Ford is gradually becoming a small carmaker in Europe in the passenger car market (3% of the European market in the first 4 months of 2025). Ford Europe could leave the European passenger car market to focuse on the more profitable light utility vehicle market (of which it holds 19% in 4 months of 2025).