The Peugeot e-208, with its 136hp motor and standard CCS port, is going to be available from spring 2020 in Ireland. Peugeot is launching the petrol variant of its supermini at the same time as the petrol/diesel ones. The e-208 will be available from €27,334 (ex-delivery, including incentives) in 4 trims : Active, Allure, GT Line and GT.
The Active is already very well equipped with 16” alloy wheels, climate control, alarm, cruise control with speed limiter, trafic sign recognition, automatic headlamps and wipers, electric parking brake, automatic emergency braking system and rear parking sensors.
The Allure version adds electrically folding mirrors, rear electric windows, 3D instrument cluster, and rear privacy glass.
The GT-Line will offer a more sporty look as well as electrically folding mirrors, full LED headlights, reverse camera, ambient lightning and 17” alloy wheels.
Finally the GT trim (actually exclusive to the electric variant of the 208) is at €32,660 offering alcantara sports heated seatsn handsfree access and blindsport detection.
All in all, that e-208 seems to be quite well priced compared to the Renault Zoé : you get more equipment for a similar cost. The e-208 compares to the Zoé R135 in terms of power and charging capability so on that perspective it seems to be better value for money. However it has only a 7kw on-board charger (vs 22kw for the Zoé), while the CCS port can support up to 100kw (to be verified) vs 50kw on the Zoé. The range is 340km WLTP which is significantly less than the 395 km of the Renault. The reason for that is not that the e-208 is inefficient, but Peugeot’s battery size is 46kWh useable (50kWh raw) while the Zoé one is actually 52kWh!
October PHEV sales are also healthy this month with a progress of 118% over October 2018, and 70 units registered. It represents a 3.21% market share. The new BMW 330e is like last month leading the segment, while the Kia Niro keeps its 2019 crown with 425 units registered year to date.
BMW 330e
Used imports are at an all time high with 275 vehicles registered last month! We can note the recent progress of the BMW 530e, these cars being now available at under GBP 25,000, with the reduced VRT and the low exchange rate, making these sometimes more affordable than the common 520d !
This is an exceptional month of October for BEV sales. No less than 247 cars were registered witch represents, in a traditionally low month, a 11.3% share of the new car market !
It cannot be explained by a specific model. Of course the Tesla model 3 is now getting delivered, but with just 23 units, represents less than 10% of the segment. All BEVs are doing very well this month, topped by 80 Hyundai Kona Electric, now just 21 units behind the Nissan Leaf (1070 to date). Which car will get the 2019 crown ? Too early to say !
Hyundai Kona Electric is leading new BEV sales in October
88 used BEVs were also imported in October, with is the best month of 2019. The Nissan Leaf is still dominating the segment.
On
Wednesday (23-Oct-2019), ESB ecars announced details of the
arrangements to be put in place for paid charging on their Fast
Public Charging infrastructure.
Paid charging on 50kW fast chargers will commence on 18th November 2019
Users wishing to avail of this service will be required to sign-up from 29th October
Charging will be priced per kWh used with two price plan options:
‘Pay As You Go’ at 33c per kWh
‘Membership’ with a €5 monthly subscription fee at 29c per kWh
A limited time introductory offer (available from 29th October until the end of November) will provide the ‘Membership’ rate with no monthly subscription for 12 months
A €5 overstay fee will apply for charging sessions exceeding 45 minutes
Standard 22kW AC chargers will continue to be free to use for the time being
Pricing for High Power Chargers (150kW DC) will be announced once the first high power hubs are installed in early 2020
Fees will not apply to the network in Northern Ireland at this time.
The
IEVOA is broadly supportive of the measures announced having long
held the view that the introduction of paid charging will be positive
for current EV owners and will also support on-going EV adoption in
line with the objective of the Climate Action Plan. Further, we
commend the ESB in taking on board feedback from our members during
the consultation process as the measures announced very much follow
what the majority of our membership indicated they would like to see
when surveyed earlier this year.
The
advent of paid charging will allow expansion of the existing EV
infrastructure in line with ESBs plans announced in late 2018,
including the much needed introduction of high power charging hubs at
key locations. It will also allow for the network to be fully
maintained and upgraded as required into the future. Furthermore,
paid charging opens the way for competition allowing other charge
network operators to bring their plans to fruition. This can only be
positive for EV owners with more chargers, more choice and
competition on pricing. Meanwhile, the price point selected will
still ensure that EVs are cheaper to run than their ICE equivalents,
whilst encouraging those able to avail of home charging to do so as a
preference. Finally, overstay fees should help discourage blocking
of chargers for excessive periods, hence the network should be more
available to those who need it.
Feedback
so far from our membership indicates that they may have liked to have
seen a higher overstay fee and also measures to ensure that the
overstay fee isn’t easily avoided by unplugging and restarting
another session, but we are assured that these trends will be
monitored.
We
must also acknowledge that this is new territory in Ireland and a
starting point. The ESB are open to revising these measures should
this prove necessary. To this end the IEVOA will keep close contact
with ESB ecars over the coming months following introduction of paid
charging, passing on feedback from our members and ensuring their
voices are heard.
New PHEV sales are representing a record 1.96% of total passenger car sales in September, the 67 registrations are representing a 52% increase over the same month last year. The newly launched BMW 330e is the best selling model this month with 27 registrations.
Used imports are also very dynamic with 216 registrations, best so far this year, on a 53.8% increase over September 2018.
Mistubishi Outlander PHEV, most popular PHEV import in September and YTD.
The updated Renault Zoé has been highly anticipated by the EV community and it will arrive very soon in Ireland. Not only this is (still) the most affordable EV on the market, but it also (still) is the only one that can charge at 22kw at one of the hundreds AC chargers spread out all around the country, making it the most versatile EV available.
We know the Renault Zoé, it has been around since 2013 and is so far in 2019 the 2nd best selling BEV in the European market, behind the Tesla Model 3. Renault’s goal is to bring affordable electric cars for the masses and it naturally improved its Zoé.
You’ve probably read about the new Zoé before, with its impressive range of 395km WLTP, massive bootspace and available CCS connector, but we now have more details on the range available for the Irish market, and the good new is that it is (still) great value for money.
This new range starts at €26,990 with the Play R110 model. Compared to the outgoing Zoé Expression, it costs €1,400 extra but adds the 52kWh battery (instead of 41kWh), a more powerful 110hp motor (vs 90hp previously), and a number of new standard equipment such as Full LED headlights (previous Zoé owners will appreciate that), a full 10-inch digital instrument cluster, hands-free key card, automatic wipers and headlights. The infotainment is powered by the new Easy Link system, that comes standard with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Of course ou still have Air conditioning or cruise control and speed limiter. This comes with the more efficient 15 inch wheels.
The 10inch display is standard on all Zoé (navigation available from Iconic trim)
At €28,990, the Zoé Iconic R110 will be the popular option. It is just €1,000 over the outgoing Dynamique Nav R110 and adds to the Play version 16 inch alloys, built-in satellite navigation, climate control, inductive smart phone charging, electric rear windows, a number of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) such as lane departure warning, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition, the 100% recycled seat upholstery and dashboard trim, and rear parking sensors. 50kw CCS connector is a €750 option.
Zoé GT Line R135 with optional 17 inch alloys
For €30,990, you can afford yourself the Iconic R135. This version will be aimed for EV drivers who do more regular long distances trips. For €2,000 over the Iconic R110, this version adds the more powerful 135hp motor, allowing faster acceleration and top speed, but also the desirable DC CCS 50kW connector, a must when going for a long trip across the country.
Zoé GT Line interior
Finally at €31,990 the GT Line R135 is topping the new Zoé range, with diamond cut 16 inch alloy wheels, the very sexy 9.3 inch portrait Easy Link central screen, front parking sensors, rear-view camera, semi synthetic-leather and recycled cloth upholstery and Blind sport warning.
All Zoé come with a 5-year 200.000 km warranty (8-year 160.000 km for the battery).
Which one should I choose ?
The Iconic R110 will probably be the most popular choice. The price is reasonable, performance is adequate and it’s really well equipped. For a car that is meant to stay around town or be used as a second car, the lack of standard DC charger might not be an issue but it would be wiser get the option, as it will be an feature people will look for in a few years when you’ll resell the car. If you really want to go for the more powerful motor, go directly to the GT Line R135, as it offers many more features than the Iconic, such as the larger screen or the reverse camera, for just €1,000 extra.
When can I get it ?
The new Zoé will be available for deliveries from January, so you might want to visit your dealer quite soon.
BEV sales are up 20.6% for September to 117 units, for a 3.41% market share. The news of the month are the first 13 Tesla Model 3, that places the model directly in the lucky 13th position for 2019 (4th for September alone). The Nissan Leaf is quietly passing the 1000 unit sold mark so far this year, and is still ahead of the Kona Electric.
The first Tesla Model 3 have landed !
As for the used imports, the month of September was actually the best this year, but still down compared to 2018. Note that no less than 17 used Tesla Model S were brought in last month.
Tesla Model S was a surprisingly popular used import last month !
The PHEV market is just as dynamic as the BEV market with sales increasing by 39.4% year on year for August, to 91 units and 1.79% market share. The Plug in market share was again above 5% last month (and 3.66% so far this year)
Kia Niro PHEV
The Kia Niro PHEV is still dominating the segment, but this month we welcome 2 new models, the new BMW 330e (10 sales) and the Mercedes E300de (yes it’s a diesel PHEV – 1 sale). See below details for new sales and used imports.
New BEV sales still increased last month, by 4.24% year on year. That said, August 2018 was particularly strong due to the launch of the Leaf40 so it’s actually a quite good result as shown by the 3.35% market share achieved !
The Hyundai Kona is the strongest this month, catching up with the Nissan Leaf. Which one will be the king of 2019 sales ? Too early to say ! Note as well the 3 first Irish Mercedes EQC … and we’re still waiting on the Tesla Model 3.
Used imports are still decreasing (41.3% year on year) . See below for more details
On Monday (26-Aug-2019), Minister Bruton announced a plan to deploy 1000 charge points (up to 200 per annum) over the next 5 years. Capital will support up to 75% (or €5,000) of the cost of each charge point and these will be implemented and operated by county and city councils. On top of this a new regulation requiring non-domestic buildings with over 20 car parking spaces to install charging facilities will be introduced.
The IEVOA is glad that a different perspective is given to the development of infrastructure and with a more local implementation, closer to communities needs and local initiatives… Whilst this plan is welcome, the number of charge points are small, the roll-out long, and many more public charging points will be necessary to support the million electric vehicles expected by 2030 under the Climate Action plan.
With the advent of paid charging over the next year or so we would hope to see more charge stations operators rolling out public charge stations which will add to the numbers available all over Ireland.
The IEVOA, on behalf of its members, will engage with local authorities and offer its expertise to support the optimal implementation of these charging points.
You may have seen elsewhere in the press today that ESB eCars will commence pay charging shortly. So this announcement is just to confirm the details shared with the IEVOA Committee when we met with eCars today.
Firstly, the announcement relates to Fast charge points ONLY. Pay charging for Standard charge points will come later, likely in 2020. So an announcement is to be expected during the next one to two months regards when pay charging will commence, how much this will cost and on what basis it will be costed. There will then be a short period, likely 3-4 weeks, to register for the service before the pay charging service will commence. We understand that existing RFID cards can be used after being re-registered, and/or a new app to avail of the service.
This is all the information we can provide for now but hope to be able to share some more details early next week.
Fast charge point unit with Chademo, CCS and Mennekes type charge connectors.
Great news for the European EV market (BEV+PHEV), growing 34% during the first semester 2019 compared to same period of 2018. Over 259.000 plug in vehicles were registered.
Most importantly for us, Ireland did show the most important year or year growth (+182%) and is now the 15th plug-in market in Europe (in volume)!
At a global level, and in terms of market share, Ireland is now at the 10th place, with 2.7% ! Far from Norway but on the right path, ahead of Germany, France and UK. Now that the buyers are here, what about the infrastructure ? It’s no longer a chicken and egg situation, right ?
PHEV sales keep progressing significantly, by almost 80% over July 2018. Last month saw a clear domination of the Kia Niro PHEV, absorbing over 50% of the total sales of the segment, with 139 units registered. The Mitsubishi Outlander is now clearly behind and the rest are mostly premium vehicles. Price point is a key factor here and the € 31,495 Niro showed that being an reasonably priced family PHEV does pay off. Next year other affordable newcomers like the Renault Captur PHEV should help reinforcing the segment…
2020 Renault Captur PHEV should help the segment to expand
The Irish BEV market is still very dynamic in July for the 192 plate change, despite the limited choice and the difficulty for dealers to supply some models.
On a car market shrinking by over 8% last month, BEVs sales were up 91.9% to 735, representing a 2.98% share. That share was just 1.42% in July last year. The Nissan Leaf is back on top with 293 units sold. The Hyundai Kona on the other hand is lagging behind with 169 units. 897 Konas have been sold so far in Ireland this year, which is quite an achievement considering the car is in high demand globally and the expected production is just 48000 for 2019. Next year the Kona EV will by possibly built in Czech republic, hopefully solving the supply issue, affecting as well the Kia E-Niro and E-Soul.
The Renault Zoé has its best month ever, with 94 units registered and gets back onto the podium, leaving the disappointing VW E-Golf behind (36 units).
Renault Zoé is 3rd in July with a record 94 units sold
Sales are premium EVs are all somewhat disapointing: BMW i3, Audi E-Tron, Tesla S and X registrations are all relatively slow, but the first batch of Tesla Model 3 has yet to be delivered.
The Kia Soul is back in Ireland. If the first generation was only available for us in ICE version (though you might see a few BEV imports from the UK), the new one is exclusively available in Electric form, named e-Soul.
The e-Soul is a small crossover, similar in size to the Hyundai Kona, Renault Captur or Peugeot 2008. Its boxy shape allows a very good interior room compared to the competition.
It is for now only available in a long-range option (64kWh) but it will be as well in mid-range form (39kWh). The 64kWh version has a 204hp motor allowing 0-100kph in just 7.9 seconds and WLTP range of 452km. The 39kWh is rated for 277km.
2 trims levels are on offer : The first version is the K2 (from €35,995) and is really well equipped : 17 inch alloys, 10.25” infotainment screen (with Android Auto and Apple Carplay), full LED headlights, front heated seats, lane keep assist or adaptive cruise control. The K3 (from €37.495) adds a number of extra features such as heads-up display, blind-sport collision system, front parking sensors, full leather upholstery and power driver seat lumbar support.
The Kia e-Soul is already available for test drives at dealers but stock is limited for 2019 so make sure you enquire rapidly, should you be interested by this car.
Kia e-Soul 64kWh K2 : €35,995 Kia e-Soul 64kWh K3 : €37,495
Prices include, VAT, VRT, VRT rebate, SEAI grand, and exclude metallic paint and delivery charges.
The Mini Cooper SE is coming soon and is surprisingly good value!
We did expect the Mini to arrive in Autumn … we’ll have to wait till spring but it’s keen price will make the wait worthwhile!
We knew a few things about the Mini : it shares its 184hp motor with the bmw i3S, packs a smaller 32,6kwh battery (28,9kwh useable), similar to the 94Ah i3 and therefore a 235-270 km WLTP range. It charges at 11kw on AC (16amp 3-phase) and 50kw on DC (CCS). Boot and cabine size is preserved, batteries are stored below in a T shape and the extra weight is just 145kg over a Cooper S automatic.
There will be three trim levels, beginning with the standard trim, with a monthly lease price of €309 or on the road price from €27,765 OTR (which includes SEAI grant €5,000 and VRT rebate €5,000).
The mid-level style MINI Electric is available at €30,405 OTR and offers a cloth/leather-look upholstery, additional exterior body colour and wheel options, as well as adding rear Park Distance Control (PDC), Rear Camera, Seat Heating, Driving Assistance Pack and Logo Projection.
Finally the top level offers the following on top of the mid-level trim: front PDC, Park Assist, Harmon Kardon sound system and Head-up Display. It also adds a Panoramic Sun Roof, Matrix LED’s and provides an upgrade to the 8.8” infotainment touch screen. Wireless phone charging is also included, in addition to MINI Yours Leather Lounge upholstery, a choice of five alloy wheels and six exterior body colours. All that for €35,695 OTR.
So where does this Mini stand ?
Compared to a Renault Zoé it starts at around €3000 more with the extra prestige, less range but more power. Basically all other EVs are more expensive. You wouldn’t think the Mini could be the second cheapest car of any sort, right?
Compared to a BMW i3, it has similar performance, a shorter range but costs around €10000 less ! It is actually similarily priced to a bigger Nissan Leaf 40, that won’t have much more range (285km WLTP).
Finally you have to compare it to the Mini Cooper S and this one starts at no less than €29,730 in its automatic form.
Will this Mini be a hit ? After undercutting the BMW i3, this competitive SE version now sets a benchmark for the upcoming Honda e, also aspiring to convince the premium small EV buyer. Meet the new Mini at dealers next spring.
Market share for new PHEVs has been at an all-time high with 1.91%, making it the best month so far for this category. The Kia Niro, Mitsubishi Outlander and Range Rover Sport are now dominating this segment.
Range Rover Sport, 3rd best seller in H1 2019
When comparing 2019 to 2018, we see a lot of changes in the ranking but also the offering : Many models were discontinued to to the new WLTP cycle (and some might be back later), whereas a handful arrived on the maket. But overall, the volumes grew significantly (+90.8%) and the market share went from 0.59% to 1.03%.
Face-lifted Mitsubishi Outlander in the 2nd spot after a facelift and drop in price.
Car registrations in June are very low, as usual in Ireland, and if just 53 BEVs have been registered last month, they represent no less than 3.76% of the total car market. The all new Kia E-Soul has just landed with 9 registrations.
More important is to see the evolution of sales of this first semester 2019, compared to 2018. First you can see that 5 new models have been launched since last July, one of which, the Kona Electric, is now directly on top. The rest of the top 5 (Nissan Leaf, VW Golf, Renault Zoé and BMW i3) all benefit from important growth. The Hyndai Ioniq sales are almost stable and the Tesla Model S and X are the only BEVs which sales decreased (like in many other markets).
Finally note that the market share of EVs has significantly grown from less than 1% to almost 2.5% showing a growing appetite from the public, and it looks like we are finally catching up with the rest of Europe.
