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European EV Sales Increased Over 13% YoY in Q1 2023 with Tesla Model Y as Bestseller

EV sales penetration dropped to 18.4% in Q1 2023 from 27.6% in Q4 2022
Tesla Model Y was the best-selling EV model across all major countries except Spain.
EV sales penetration is expected to exceed 25% again by the end of the year.

London, New Delhi, San Diego, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul – July 5, 2023

Europe’s passenger electric vehicle* (EV) sales increased by more than 13% YoY in Q1 2023, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Europe Passenger Electric Vehicle Model Sales Tracker. While overall passenger car sales in Europe are showing signs of improvement, they have not yet reached pre-COVID-19 levels. In terms of overall EV sales, Germany led the pack, closely followed by the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway. Meanwhile, the share of EVs in total passenger vehicle sales was the highest in Norway and the Netherlands.

In Q1 2023, Battery EV (BEV) sales jumped 32% YoY while plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) sales declined 13% YoY. Consequently, the EV share of total passenger vehicle sales declined during the quarter from that a year ago.

Meanwhile, there has been notable progress in the European market for Hybrid EVs (HEV) and mild-hybrid EVs (MHEVs). This indicates that Europe is making efforts to tap into the lower-end EV market while simultaneously developing battery ecosystems and fostering a circular economy. These initiatives are being undertaken before placing a stronger emphasis on pure EV sales.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Senior Analyst Soumen Mandal said, “In Q1 2023, most European EV sales were captured by the top five automotive groups – Volkswagen Group, Tesla, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai-Kia. They accounted for nearly two-thirds of the market share. When it comes to pure electric vehicles (BEVs), Tesla holds the second position, slightly behind Volkswagen. In the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) market, Volkswagen takes the lead, followed by Mercedes-Benz and BMW.”

“Chinese EV manufacturers struggled to increase their market share in Europe during the quarter. However, MG, BYD, NIO, ORA and Aiways managed to improve their sales compared to the previous year. On the other hand, LYNK & CO, Hongqi and Xpeng faced challenges in the European market. Nevertheless, we expect Chinese automakers to be able to enhance their market share in the coming quarters by offering cost-effective vehicles with advanced features, as the EV market is expected to perform better.”

The top-selling EV model during Q1 2023 was the Tesla Model Y, followed by the Volvo XC40, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.3, and Audi Q4 e-tron. These top five models account for nearly a quarter of the total shipments. The Tesla Model Y dominates the market across major European countries, demonstrating Tesla’s strong brand presence in the region, except in Spain where it faces more competition.

Discussing the market outlook, Research Vice President Peter Richardson said, “The penetration of EVs in total passenger vehicle sales in Europe experienced a decline this quarter, dropping to 18.4% from 27.6% in Q4 2022. This is a significant shift compared to the previous trend of continuous QoQ growth. Except France, all major countries experienced this decline during Q1 2023.”

“Several factors contributed to this decline, including the unstable economic conditions and the removal of EV subsidies by Norway. Germany, the largest EV market in Europe, experienced a decline as the looming recession and cautious consumer spending hurt the EV market. These circumstances impacted the overall adoption of EVs in the region. However, since April, the European region has shown signs of recovery. As a result, we expect the share of EVs to rebound and surpass 25% again by the end of this year.”

*Sales refer to wholesale figures, i.e. deliveries from factories by the respective brands/companies.

*The countries in this study include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and Ukraine.

*For EVs, we consider only BEVs and PHEVs. Hybrid EVs and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are not covered by this study.

The comprehensive and in-depth ‘Europe Passenger Electric Vehicle Sales Tracker, Q1 2018-Q1 2023’ is now available for purchase at report.counterpointresearch.com.

Feel free to reach us at press@counterpointresearch.com for questions regarding our latest research and insights.

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

Analyst Contacts

Abhik Mukherjee

Soumen Mandal

Neil Shah

Peter Richardson

Follow Counterpoint Research

press@counterpointresearch.com

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Connected Car Sales Grew 12% YoY in 2022 With Volkswagen Group in Lead

Volkswagen Group led in connected car sales, closely followed by Toyota Group.
4G cars captured more than 95% of connected car sales in 2022.
Tesla broke into the top-10 connected car sales rankings for the first time.

New Delhi, London, San Diego, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul – April 24, 2023

Global connected car sales* grew 12% YoY in 2022 with the share of connected cars in the overall car sales exceeding 50%, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Smart Automotive Service. The US remained the strongest market for connected cars followed by China and Europe. These three markets accounted for nearly 80% of the total connected car sales globally in 2022. Despite having a relatively small share of connected car sales, Japan experienced the highest growth in connected car penetration.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Research Analyst Abhilash Gupta said, “The penetration of connectivity in cars improved during 2022 after struggling in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, new facelift versions of older models like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Escape and Chevrolet Equinox were introduced with upgraded 4G connectivity and new features. Some prominent features include remote lock/unlock, remote engine start/stop, climate control, vehicle status, location tracking, geofencing, emergency assistance, in-cabin music, video streaming, and over-the-air updates. Next-generation vehicles are being introduced with various connected and autonomous features that require high-speed internet access available through 5G. However, as of now, 5G remains a niche, available only in premium cars like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Cadillac LYRIQ, Mercedes-Benz EQS, Audi e-tron GT, BMW iX and GWM Haval HG.”

Gupta added, “With consumers’ focus shifting to connectivity in the car, non-connected car shipments are steadily declining. The top five automotive groups accounted for nearly half of the connected cars sold in 2022. Volkswagen Group led the charts in terms of connected car sales volume, closely followed by Toyota Group. Tesla broke into the top 10 for the first time.”

Commenting on the market outlook, Senior Analyst Soumen Mandal said, “The shift towards digitization in cars is increasing at a rapid pace and is visible in the consistent rise of connected car penetration globally. Currently, 4G dominates the connected car market with almost 95% share. But as the automotive market is transitioning towards electrification, software-defined vehicles and autonomy, the need for seamless and faster in-vehicle connectivity will be fulfilled through 5G. By 2030, more than 90% of connected cars sold will have embedded 5G connectivity. Connected car sales are expected to grow at a CAGR of 13% between 2022 and 2030.”

* Sales here refer to wholesale figures, i.e. deliveries out of factories by respective brands, and consider only passenger cars with embedded connectivity.

The comprehensive and in-depth ‘Global Connected Car Tracker, Q1 2019-Q4 2022’ and ‘Global Connected Car Forecast, 2019-2030F’ are now available for purchase at report.counterpointresearch.com.

Feel free to reach us at press@counterpointresearch.com for questions regarding our latest research and insights.

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media, and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects, and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

Analyst Contacts

Abhilash Gupta

Soumen Mandal

Peter Richardson

Counterpoint Research

press@counterpointresearch.com

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Berlin Factory Takes Tesla to Top Spot in Europe EV Sales as Chinese Brands Gain Ground

EVs contributed over 29% of Europe’s total passenger vehicle sales in Q4 2022.
Chinese EV brands sold nearly 58,000 units in Europe during 2022.
Europe’s EV sales are expected to exceed 4 million units in 2023.

London, New Delhi, San Diego, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul – March 6, 2023

Europe’s passenger electric vehicle* (EV) sales in Q4 2022 grew over 34% YoY to bring the 2022 total to over 2.7 million units, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Global Passenger Electric Vehicle Model Sales Tracker. Battery EVs (BEVs) continued to increase their share, growing by 36% YoY to account for almost 63% of all EV sales, while plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) accounted for the rest. Germany was the largest EV market in Europe with almost 39% of total sales, followed by the United Kingdom and France. Germany also remained Europe’s fastest-growing EV market in Q4 2022 with 75% YoY growth, while Norway and Sweden’s overall passenger vehicle sales had the highest EV share in the continent. In terms of brands, Tesla managed to overtake Mercedes Benz to grab the top spot in Europe.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Research Analyst Abhik Mukherjee said, “EV sales in Europe are increasing at a slower pace than expected. But since many European brands target to convert most of their models to electric by 2025, we expect EV sales to accelerate in the next two years. European automakers need to keep a close eye on Chinese competitors. Most Chinese brands, like BYD, Lynk, NIO and XPeng, made their European debut in 2021, selling just under 21,000 EVs cumulatively. In 2022, Chinese brands sold almost 58,000 EVs, capturing over 2% of the market. With the current trajectory, their share is expected to double to around 5% by the end of 2023.”

Market summary

Tesla became Europe’s top-selling EV brand in Q4, dethroning Mercedes Benz. Tesla’s Model Y also became the best-selling EV in Europe during Q4 and for the full year of 2022, followed by its Model 3. Production capacity at Tesla’s Berlin factory reached 3,000 units per week in November 2022. The factory played a crucial role in Tesla becoming the best-selling EV brand.

Volkswagen’s EV sales grew by almost 48% YoY in Q4, helping it stay the second best-selling EV brand in Europe. Volkswagen has been spearheading its ID models and the launch of an updated version of the ID.3 model will help the brand hold its position more firmly.

Mercedes-Benz sold over 76,000 EVs in Europe during Q4, a growth of 46% YoY. The top-selling models were the A-Class, EQA and GLE-Class. PHEVs accounted for almost 67% of Mercedes’ Q4 EV sales. Tesla and Volkswagen pushed Mercedes to third place in Q4 2022.

Discussing the market outlook, Senior Analyst Soumen Mandal said, “EVs contributed over 29% of Europe’s total passenger vehicle sales in Q4 2022. We expect that more than 4 million EVs will be sold across Europe in 2023. The rise of Chinese brands will likely pose a threat to local manufacturers. Lynk & Co, a subsidiary of Geely Holding, sold over 20,000 PHEVs during Q4 2022, with its Lynk 01 model entering the list of top 10 best-selling EV models in Europe. The implementation of strict laws to limit carbon emissions makes battery manufacturing costlier across Europe, thus making European-produced EVs more costly than those imported from China. Unless policies are brought for vehicle imports, the sales of Chinese EVs will continue to increase across Europe.”

*Sales refer to wholesale figures, i.e. deliveries from factories by the respective brands/companies.

*The countries in this study include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Ukraine.

*For EVs, we consider only BEVs and PHEVs. Hybrid EVs and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are not covered by this study.

The comprehensive and in-depth ‘Global Passenger Electric Vehicle Sales Tracker, Q1 2018-Q4 2022’ is now available for purchase at report.counterpointresearch.com.

Feel free to reach us at press@counterpointresearch.com for questions regarding our latest research and insights.

Background

Analyst Contacts

Abhik Mukherjee

Soumen Mandal

Neil Shah

Peter Richardson

Counterpoint Research

press@counterpointresearch.com

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COVID-19 Caused European Smartphone Market to Decline 24% YoY for Q2 2020

COVID-19 outbreak continues to impact the European smartphone market as sales contracted 24% YoY and 22% QoQ for Q2 2020.
Chinese players held 35% market share in Europe, new entrants like Oppo and Xiaomi grew 41% YoY and 55% YoY, filling the void created by Huawei’s decline.
Huawei continues to lead the chart for Russia smartphone market with 29% market share.
OnePlus grew 128% YoY in Eastern Europe driven by the good performance of OnePlus 7t and 8 series.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, San Diego, London, Buenos Aires – July 29^th, 2020

The European smartphone market declined 24% year-on-year (YoY) and 22% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in Q2 2020 amid the worst part of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Counterpoint’s Market Pulse service. Eastern Europe which seemed almost immune to the pandemic in Q1 2020 declined 24% YoY in the second quarter.

Commenting on the overall market, Peter Richardson, VP of Research said, “The impact of COVID-19 gathered speed in Europe during April as it was the first full month of lockdowns across almost the entire region, causing a decline of around 45% YoY and 30% MoM. As the lockdowns started to lift across Europe in May, the sales rebounded (+33% MoM). June was equally good, posting a further sequential increase of 34%. Though MoM comparisons look good, the overall scenario for the quarter still shows a 24% YoY decline.”

Sales did not completely stop as e-commerce channels remained open and functioning even in countries with the most severe lockdowns such as Spain and Italy, and this was supported by European governments’ generous furlough schemes. However, as this support is being reduced, there is an increased threat of wide-spread redundancies across many businesses. Russia’s smartphone market, which was slow to acknowledge the presence of COVID-19 in Q1 2020, became the worst affected European market in Q2 2020 declining 27% YoY for the quarter.

Commenting on the top OEMs in the European market, Abhilash Kumar, Research Analyst said, “Samsung continues to lead the market. This is driven by its diversified portfolio and new product lines that cater to the requirement of all price bands. Apple, supported by good performance of the iPhone SE and 11 series, restricted its sales volume decline to 14% YoY. Meanwhile, Huawei declined 46% YoY amid US-China trade sanctions. Xiaomi and Oppo grew 55% YoY and 41% YoY even during the pandemic. With their attractive specs at affordable prices, they managed to woo some potential Huawei users to gain share at its expense.”

Analyst Contacts:

Peter Richardson

Abhilash Kumar

Follow Counterpoint Research
press@counterpointresearch.com

COVID-19 Weighs on European Smartphone Market in Q1 2020

The viral outbreak followed by lockdowns caused the Europe smartphone market to contract by 7% YoY and 23% QoQ
Apple remained resilient while Huawei declined sharply for the quarter – though this was more than COVID-related

New Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, San Diego, London, Buenos Aires – June 3rd, 2020

Smartphone sales declined 7% year-on-year (YoY) and 23% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) in Europe during Q1 2020 amid COVID-19 outbreak, according to Counterpoint’s Market Pulse service. The impact of the pandemic was relatively stronger for Western Europe, down 9% YoY, than for Eastern Europe, down 5% YoY.

Commenting on the overall market, Peter Richardson, VP of Research said, “Q1 is seasonally weak, but the coronavirus outbreak amplified this. The smartphone market decline was primarily due to COVID-19 outbreak across the region in the second half of the quarter. The biggest five markets in Europe entered lockdowns of varying severity at different points in March. Consequently, most of the offline stores were closed, though online remained open throughout. Also, the economic impact of the pandemic has led to lengthening replacement cycles as consumers withhold making discretionary purchases.”

Europe Smartphone Sales Market Share (%), Q1 2019 vs Q1 2020

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Italy was the worst affected of all European countries, driving the smartphone market to a 21% YoY decline. In other markets, some operators such as Vodafone, and retailers such as Dixons Carphone were able to adjust to the sharply higher online demand and somewhat offset the decline. Others however, like Mediamarkt/Saturn in Germany, had underinvested in digital channels and lost sales due to store closures.

Coronavirus did not officially make its presence felt in Russia until late March/early April and hence the market remained relatively resilient in Q1 2020, declining just 1%.

Counterpoint Europe Smartphone Market Q1 2020

Commenting on the top OEMs in the European market, Abhilash Kumar, Research Analyst said, “Samsung continues to lead the chart for Q1 2020. This is driven by Samsung’s diversified portfolio across all price bands. Also, marketing campaigns around the Galaxy S20 launch boosted its overall sales. Unlike Chinese OEMs, Samsung had no supply issues and was not impacted by China lockdown worries. Apple remained flat for the quarter and showed its resilience during the COVID-19 crisis. The iPhone 11 series continues to perform well, despite a lack of supply in some markets and some channels. However, the expensive models slowed considerably in March. Huawei declined a sharp 43% YoY for the quarter as the US trade sanctions continue to bite. Xiaomi has been the biggest beneficiary from Huawei’s decline as it grew 145% YoY capturing 11% share in the quarter.”

Key market summary:

Huawei’s co-brand Honor led the Russian smartphone market in Q1 2020.
Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi and OPPO benefited from Huawei’s continuing struggles and hence grew more than 150% YoY for the quarter driven by strong performances in Russia, UK, France.
5G smartphone sales accounted for 4% of the overall market sales in Europe in Q1 2020.
Apple iPhone 11 was the best-selling model in Europe in Q1 2020.

Analyst Contacts:

Peter Richardson

Abhilash Kumar

Follow Counterpoint Research
press@counterpointresearch.com

France: A Battleground for Premium Flagship Smartphones

Being a mature smartphone market, the average selling price (ASP) in France is already high. Apple and Samsung so far dominate the market. However, recently the market has seen a flurry of activity by Chinese players like Huawei, OnePlus, and Oppo. These brands are raising the overall value of the French smartphone market even higher. The fact that Huawei chose to launch its flagship P30, and earlier Ascend P7 and P20 series in France underlines the commitment of Chinese brands to this market. Similarly, OnePlus is also planning to open a brick and mortar store in Paris. In light of recent activities, we conducted a Consumer Lens study to understand the current and future preference of French smartphone consumers.

In the results from Counterpoint’s Consumer Lens study, close to half of the respondents purchased a smartphone priced higher than €500 (US$600) in the past. This trend is likely to continue as the study results revealed that one in three consumers have the intention of spending €675 and above (US$800 and above) for their next smartphone. Among respondents who bought Apple, perhaps unsurprisingly, almost 70% spent more than €500 (US$600). Samsung’s larger portfolio meant that the spending pattern among its users was more evenly spread across price bands.

Exhibit 1- Spending Intention by Present Brand Users in France

Source: Counterpoint Consumer Lens

Apple’s new ultra-premium pricing has pushed many buyers with a lower budget (like students) towards preowned/used smartphones. One in three respondents purchased their last smartphone with a full upfront payment, while one in every four respondents have used some kind of monthly installment plan. The most commonly used monthly installment plans in France are operator plans, upgrade plans, and the good old credit card. A majority of the respondents who bought smartphones on a monthly installment plan spent €25 or more each month.

Apple and Samsung both are neck and neck when it comes to top brand preference for the next purchase. A total of 90% of the current brand users expressed an intention to stick to the same brand for their next purchase.

French consumers continue their love affair with Samsung. The Korean brand has always done well in the best-selling smartphone list. Interestingly, almost half of the current Apple users are also considering Samsung as one of the top three brands for their next purchase. In contrast, only 29% of current Samsung users are considering a switch to Apple. However, the final purchase decision will vary by available choices of models, sales offers, and other market dynamics during the time of purchase.

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Insights Tag： France

European EV Sales Increased Over 13% YoY in Q1 2023 with Tesla Model Y as Bestseller

Berlin Factory Takes Tesla to Top Spot in Europe EV Sales as Chinese Brands Gain Ground

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COVID-19 Caused European Smartphone Market to Decline 24% YoY for Q2 2020

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COVID-19 Weighs on European Smartphone Market in Q1 2020

France: A Battleground for Premium Flagship Smartphones

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