Little By Little, The Electric Car Is Gaining Ground In Spain. The Cheap Electric Car, Of Course

Car sales in Spain have skyrocketed in the third month of the year. In the global market, up to 116,270 registered units have been registered. It is a growth of 61.33% compared to the same period last year when just 72,069 new vehicles were added to the Spanish fleet.

So far this year, 280,451 cars have been registered. With an accumulated growth of 41.82% in 2023, Spain can aspire to exceed one million registered units and move away from the 813,000 registrations of last year, one of the worst records in our history.

But, in this case, we have come to take stock of the electric car market. How is the sector after the first quarter of 2023?

Slow… but hopeful

If we consider the general data related to the electric car, there are rays of light that generally invite us to be optimistic. Of course, the growth of electric and electrified cars continues to be slow and lags far behind that of other European countries.

According to Anfac data, 5,684 electric cars were registered in March. 63.15% more than a year ago (3,484 enrolled), and the quota of 5% of sales is already close. In March 2023, 4.89% of cars sold were exclusively electric. In the accumulated year, 13,878 vehicles have been registered in our country as exclusively electric cars, with a market share of 4.31% and, in total, a growth of 62.70%.

If we take the year 2022 as a reference, 65% of the electric cars sold throughout the past year have already been sold. If this continues, before the middle of the year, the same cars should be registered as in all of 2022. Although the market share remains low, it has already exceeded 4% and continues to grow.

If we only look at the volume of plug-ins, highly electrified hybrids are also increasing significantly. Its base is higher than that of the electric car (6,006 units in March and 14,953 cars so far this year), and its growth was also higher last month (77.96%), although, in the accumulated figure for the year, it is not as strong (an increase of 41.49%).

With these figures, 9.6% of the cars registered in Spain are plug-ins, and we have managed to surpass Italy, which has fallen to 9%. Despite this, we are still far from the European average and competitors. 21.6% of the cars sold in Europe and France are plug-ins. In Portugal, it is 21.7%, in the United Kingdom, 22.8%, and in Germany, 31.4%, even though aid for these cars has been withdrawn or limited.

Country of electricity… affordable

At the end of 2022, Tesla placed a total of 4,597 registrations on the market in our country. And so far, in 2023, it has been just as good for the company. Both globally and in our country. In the first three months of the year alone, it has already sold almost the same Tesla Model Y as in 2022, although it arrived very late.

Then it registered 1,866 units, and only one more registration of the Fiat 500e prevented it from sharing the first two positions on the podium of the best-selling electric cars in our country with the Tesla Model 3. Of course, the saloon is recovering from a bad start to the year. They have only delivered 363 units of this car in our country, 67.93% less than in the same period of 2022. But, yes, 201 units of the quarter’s total were already registered in March.

Despite everything, Tesla monopolizes 18.73% of electric sales with its Model Y and Model 3. A market share higher than the one it achieved at the end of 2022 (15%). Beyond Tesla’s electric SUV, much more modestly priced electric vehicles dominate the top five spots.

So far this year, the second best-selling electric vehicle is the Fiat 500e. With 763 units, it currently has a market share of 7.22%. The car starts with a 21.3 kWh battery and a range, according to WLTP, of 180 kilometers. It also has a higher version with a 37.3 kWh battery, greatly increasing its possibilities. Its price, at the moment, is close to 30,000 euros but the extra cost for the most capable option is just 4,000 euros.

But advancing among the best-selling electric cars in our country is confirming that, for the moment, the cheapest options continue to triumph. The Dacia Spring is once again one of the best-selling cars in Spain, it’s 20,555 starting euros are interesting. It was already positioned last year as the best-selling model of July.

Another path that MG4 Electric has followed. The Chinese electric car has positioned itself as the most interesting attraction for those who want maximum autonomy at the lowest possible price, with 350 kilometers available in its tightest version and 450 kilometers in the superior one. With the MOVES III Plan in hand, it is another car that remains close to 20,000 euros.

Finally, the electric Citroën C4 closes this year’s category of the five best-selling electric vehicles. The French model also has a very tight battery of just 46 useful kWh, promising 354 kilometers of autonomy. Although its price is slightly higher, with the MOVES III Plan, we will be, again, below 30,000 euros, so it is once again positioned in the lower part of the market.