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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
The new Zoé will be available for deliveries from January, so you might want to visit your dealer quite soon.
Zoé Play R110 Z.E.50 – €26,990
Zoé Iconic R110 Z.E.50 – €28,990
Zoé Iconic R135 Z.E.50 – €30,990
Zoé GT Line R135 Z.E.50 – €31,990
Prices include the battery, VRT relief, SEAI grant and exclude metallic paint and delivery charges
Main options:
50 kw DC (CCS) connector – €750 (Iconic R110)
17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels – €400 (GT Line R135)
Winter pack (heated front seats and steering wheel) – €500 (Iconic and GT Line)
Technology pack (front sensors, rear-view camera, 9,3 inch portrait Easy Link screen) – €800 (Iconic)
Hands Free Parking – €350 (GT Line)
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.
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.
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)
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.
Contact : pr@irishevowners.ie
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.
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…
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).
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.
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%.
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.
“The IEVOA welcomes today’s Climate Action Plan announcement from the Irish government and its objectives in moving Ireland away from our heavy reliance on fossil fuels and to dramatically reduce our co2 emissions. This will continue to support the EV adoption growth and will therefore have to be backed up by serious investments. Association members are eager for an expansion of a reliable charging network – particularly fast charging hubs, with multiple charging ports, offering increased availability, reliability, supported with high levels of maintenance so it scales all the way to be able to cater for 1 million vehicles in 2030. We look forward to further announcements.”
Find below the Climate action plan documents:
https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/climate-action/topics/climate-action-plan/Pages/climate-action.aspx
EasyGo just updated their pricing structure, for their fast chargers, with a cheaper rate when you charge at a lower power.
Every EV owner knows that in winter, with a cold battery, charging speed is much lower and it’s possible to see rates as low as 20kw on some models whilst in summer you would get twice that power. On that basis, a price per minute makes your charge much more pricey. On the other side of the spectrum, a per kwh charge may seem fairer but hogging becomes a major risk.
Every provider knows it’s a difficult problem to solve and EasyGo just came with an original solution : a price per kwh that will vary depending on your peak charging speed.
The connection fee is still €0.24 and on top of that you now have 3 per minute rates. This rate will be applied to the whole session duration :
0-20kw : €0.17 per minute
21-35kw : €0.25 per minute
36-50kw : €0.35 per minute
If this will not change anything for most EVs, able to charge at over 40kw. But vehicles like the Nissan Leaf 24, in winter, will benefit from a more reasonable rate as you can see on the updated pricing table below :
EasyGo has recently opened its second Fast charger location in Kinnegad Plaza (M6/M4 junction), co. Westmeath, and has recently launched an Android app (and soon for iPhone).
Used BEVs imports are still down, to just 38 vehicles in May, the lowest since the beginning of the year, and also down 45% over May 2018. On the other hand, PHEVs imports are growing 145% year on year, still led by the popular Mitsubishi Outlander and very accessible out-of-lease German premium cars, available for some well below GBP 20,000, which combined with a low VRT make themselves very competitive in the Irish market where such vehicles have been sold in very little numbers!
The Kia Niro PHEV is going very strong in May with 38 sales, that is almost half of all PHEV registered last month. Other models are much more discreet but overall Plug-in Hybrids represented 1.47% of the new car market, which is a record so far this year. The new entrant in the market this month is the Audi A7 e-tron with just 1 registration.
