Pure battery EV sales in August, a slow month (because new registrations come out in September and, for some reason, we still like the prestige of a “new new” car rather than an “old new” car) showed amazing interesting increase, though market share is still only just over 1%. There’s a long way to go to match the hockey stick predictions … but lots of new models due over the next 18 months. Inside those BEV numbers is, I believe, the newly launched (in the UK) Tesla Model 3 which apparently made up 2,082 of the vehicles sold (this is 3rd in total sales behind the Ford Fiesta and VW Golf). One swallow doesn’t make a summer and all that … but the beginning of a trend?
Diesel remains the new tobacco where owners are increasingly relegated to car parks out of town and houses at the far end of the street. We can call it Big Diesel. Like Big Tobacco. And Big Sugar.
Soon showrooms will relegate diesel go the outer lots and then only for special orders. What does this do to Land Rover? Will those in rural areas continue to buy diesel because traffic density is lower and pollution lower? What kind of 4×4 would it take to make the difference?
Car sales, though, are down. And going further down. Car ownership is not the thing it was. Second hand car values could struggle soon … meaning PCP finance deals (often held by a subsidiary of the car maker) could leave the finance company holding the bag. And that would mean less money for investment … and some write offs.
And Germany is already struggling. Could this push their finances over the edge?