Stellantis, traditionally ranked third in the classification of the best-selling trams on European soil, surprised to rise to 2nd place in sales of this type of vehicle in the first half of 2022. Between January and June, the Tesla dropped from 1st to 3rd place, with the VW Group moving up one position, thus becoming the leader..
Carlos Tavares, the Portuguese who commands the destinies of the Franco-Italian-American group, highlighted the feat, however obtained in a period in which all manufacturers, in one way or another, face difficulties created by the pandemic, by the problems with suppliers and by the invasion of Ukraine. “We are committed to fighting for the leadership positions of BEV (electric batteries) in the European market”the Stellantis CEO told Automotive News.
Limited by the temporary closure of the Shanghai Gigafactory due to Covid-19, the factory it owns in China and which exports to several Asian markets, but also to Europe, Tesla fell from the lead to just 78,277 units, which placed it in the 3rd position among the best sellers. In contrast, the VW Group, with its entire portfolio of brands, although equally limited by the supplier crisis and the war, placed 116,307 new battery-powered vehicles on the market, giving it the lead.
Stellantis sold 105,413 electric models between January and June, placing some 11,000 units behind Germany’s Volkswagen AG, but comfortably ahead of Tesla (some 27,000 units).. Curiously, the smallest tram of the group was the “biggest” in saleswith the Fiat 500e capturing 32,315 new customers, 72% more than in the same period of 2021. The 500e was the best-selling electric vehicle in Italy and France in the 2nd quarter of 2022.
From the Stellantis range of electric models, it also contributed to this place in the classification the Peugeot e-208, which sold 21,918 units, 11% more than in 2021, while the Opel Corsa-e sold 13,380 vehicles. Stellantis also had the sale of trams such as the Peugeot e-2008, Citroën ë-C4, DS3 Crossback E-Tense and Opel Mokka-e, to which the Peugeot e-308 will be added later this year, and the Vauxhall Astra. -and in 2023. Everything points to the team captained by Carlos Tavares continuing to fight for the lead.
Tesla was not this time at the level of its opponents, having negotiated in the last quarter the lowest volume of vehicles in the last two years, due to the closure of factories decreed by the Chinese Government. Even so, the Model Y continued to be the best-selling tram in the European market during the first half, with 39,969 units, with the still small contribution of the Gigafactory Berlin, followed by the Model 3, with 38,280 units, whose sales volume fell by 25% compared to the same period last year. The resolution of the youth issues at the Berlin plant, as well as the lifting of pandemic-related bans in China, should allow Tesla to return to normal performance in the second half of the year.
Source: Observadora
