Europe’s Electric Vehicle Landscape Changes Dramatically
The European battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market experienced significant shifts in May, with Skoda emerging as the continent’s second-largest BEV seller. According to data from market researcher Dataforce, Skoda sold 14,920 BEVs, trailing only Volkswagen brand, which recorded 23,270 sales – a 50% increase from the previous year.
Skoda’s success can be attributed primarily to its full-electric Elroq compact SUV, which accounted for 9,250 sales in May – representing 62% of the company’s total BEV volume for the month. This strong performance propelled Skoda ahead of BMW, which sold 14,904 BEVs (up 1.9% year-over-year), and Tesla, which experienced a significant decline.
Tesla’s European BEV sales plummeted 28% to 14,055 in May, relegating the U.S. automaker to fourth place in the continent’s electric vehicle market. This downturn contrasts sharply with the overall BEV market growth, which rose 26% to 193,810 units in May, pushing the year-to-date total to 953,114 – a 27% increase compared to the same period last year.
Other notable performers in the European BEV market included Renault, which saw a 33% increase in sales to 9,215 units, led by the Renault 5 model that accounted for 50% of its BEV volume. Kia also experienced significant growth, with BEV sales rising 60% to 8,812, driven primarily by the EV3 model, which represented 63% of its full-electric sales.
The Volkswagen brand maintained its leading position in Europe’s BEV market, thanks largely to strong sales of its ID series models. The ID7 was the brand’s best-selling EV in May, with 6,769 units sold, while the ID3 and ID4 also recorded notable gains, increasing 13% and 11% respectively.
Segment-wise Performance
The compact SUV segment, where Skoda’s Elroq operates, saw 17% growth in May, reaching 198,343 units. This pushed the year-to-date total for the segment to over 1 million vehicles, representing an 18% increase. Other segments also showed promising growth, with large premium cars rising 34% to 20,673 and premium large SUVs growing 20% to 32,784 in May.
