Volkswagen Group Global BEV Sales Hit New Record In Q3 2023

The Volkswagen Group (which includes Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Skoda, Seat, Cupra, and more) reports 2,343,700 global vehicle sales during the third quarter of 2023 (up 7.4 percent year-over-year). The total volume after the first nine months of 2023 amounted to 6,715,800 (up 10.9 percent year-over-year).

In terms of battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales, the progress is much faster, but not as fast as the company would like.

In Q3, Volkswagen Group’s all-electric vehicle sales amounted to about 209,900 (up 40.5 percent year-over-year), which is a new record – slightly higher than the previous one of 205,800 from Q4 2022.

BEVs account for 9.0 percent of the group’s total volume (compared to 6.8 percent a year ago), which is noticeable progress.

Volkswagen Group BEV sales in Q3 2023:

• Total: 209,900 (up 40.5% year-over-year) and 9.0% share

During the first nine months of the year, the group sold more than 531,000 all-electric vehicles around the world. The growth rate is about 45 percent year-over-year, while the BEV share out of the total volume is estimated at 7.9 percent.

Volkswagen Group BEV sales in Q1-Q3 2023:

• Total: 531,500 (up 45% year-over-year) and 7.9% share

For reference, in 2022, Volkswagen Group sold about 572,100 all-electric vehicles around the world (up 26 percent year-over-year), which was 6.9 percent of the total volume.

It seems now that the group will not be able to reach one million BEV sales in 2023 – maybe 800,000, but even this would require a new record of 270,000 units in Q4.

It’s clear that despite some positive signs, the Volkswagen Group’s results are lower than the company hoped.

Hildegard Wortmann, member of the Group’s Extended Executive Committee for Sales, specifically noted that new order intake is below targets and that demand is lower in Europe (the group’s largest BEV market): “We showed a good overall performance in our all-electric deliveries with a global increase of 45 percent in the first nine months. Despite the current general reluctance in the European market to buy battery-powered vehicles, we gained market share and remained market leader in this segment. However, our order intake is below our ambitious targets due to the lower than expected overall market trend.”

This is a big issue for the Volkswagen Group because other OEMs are expanding BEV sales faster.

Europe remains the largest BEV market for the Volkswagen Group (64 percent so far this year), which might be problematic if the “reluctance” is prolonged in Europe.

Other markets are also challenging. China represented 22 percent of the group’s sales during the first nine months of this year, but the growth there amounted to just four percent year-over-year.

In the United States, the growth rate is higher (74 percent year-over-year). However, the volume is relatively low (less than 10 percent of the total BEV sales).

Sales in Q3 2023:

• Europe: 124,000 (up 49%) and 59% share
• US: 20,500 (up 71%)
• China: 54,700 (up 11%)
• Rest of the world: 10,800 (up 112%)
• Total: 209,900 (up 40.5% year-over-year)

Sales in Q1-Q3 2023:

• Europe: 341,100 (up 61%) and 64% share
• US: 50,300 (up 74%) and 9.4% share
• China: 117,100 (up 4%) and 22% share
• Rest of the world: 23,100 (up 77%)
• Total: 531,500 (up 45% year-over-year)

In terms of all-electric vehicle sales, the Volkswagen brand is the largest one with over 108,000 units sold in Q3, although it noted a below average growth rate. Audi (2nd) was growing much faster, exceeded 47,000 sales.

Sales in Q3 2023:

• Volkswagen (cars): 108,200 (up 19%)
• Audi: 47,400 (up 76%)
• Skoda: 23,100 (up 58%)
• Seat/Cupra: 13,500 (up 45%)
• Porsche: 9,900 (up 60%)
• Volkswagen (commercial vehicles): 7,300 (up 1,094%)
• other (MAN, Volkswagen Truck & Bus, Scania, Navistar): 500 (up 29%)
• Total: 209,900 (up 40.5% year-over-year)

Sales in Q1-Q3 2023:

• Volkswagen (cars): 273,000 (up 32%)
• Audi: 123,000 (up 60%)
• Skoda: 54,400 (up 48%)
• Seat/Cupra: 32,300 (up 84%)
• Porsche: 27,900 (up 11%)
• Volkswagen (commercial vehicles): 19,600 (up 1,032%)
• other (MAN, Volkswagen Truck & Bus, Scania, Navistar): 1,200 (down 6%)
• Total: 531,500 (up 45% year-over-year)

In Q3, the group’s best-selling electric car once again was the Volkswagen ID.4 (counted by the manufacturer together with the ID.5 coupe version) at 60,900 units.

The next most popular model happens to be the Volkswagen ID.3 (40,700), followed by the Audi Q4 e-tron (29,900).

Select BEV model sales (for which data are available) in Q3 2023:

• Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5 – 60,900
• Volkswagen ID.3 – 40,700
• Audi Q4 e-tron (incl. Sportback) – 29,900
• Skoda Enyaq iV (incl. Coupé) – 23,100
• Cupra Born – 13,400
• Porsche Taycan (all versions) – 9,894
• Audi e-tron/Q8 e-tron (incl. Sportback) – 2,300
• other models – 29,706
• Total: 209,900 (up 40.5% year-over-year)

Some of the models are very similar and offered by different brands. For example, the MEB-based crossover/SUV – Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5, Audi Q4 e-tron (incl. Sportback) and Skoda Enyaq iV (incl. Coupé) – together noted 113,900 (Q3), which is more than half of the total volume.

Similarly, the MEB-based compact hatchbacks: Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born, together noted 54,100 units during the last quarter.

Select BEV model sales (for which data are available) in Q1-Q3 2023:

• Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5 – 162,100
• Volkswagen ID.3 – 90,500
• Audi Q4 e-tron (incl. Sportback) – 77,900
• Skoda Enyaq iV (incl. Coupé) – 54,400
• Cupra Born – 32,300
• Porsche Taycan (all versions) – 27,885
• Audi Q8 e-tron/e-tron (incl. Sportback) – 21,800
• other models – 64,615
• Total: 531,500 (up 45% year-over-year)

So far this year, the Volkswagen Group sold almost 300,000 Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5, Audi Q4 e-tron (incl. Sportback) and Skoda Enyaq iV (incl. Coupé). That’s 55 percent of the total volume and the most important product group in the lineup.