When it comes to free publicity, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is always at the top. The company gets a lot of mentions on newspapers and online platforms for its production of luxurious electric cars, particularly the Model S. Some other electric car manufacturers such as Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and GM only get a little of the publicity.
Signs were also good when reports came out that Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S had outsold Nissan’s Leaf in Northern European markets. Norway dominates the demand for the Model S, all electric cars due to its fair taxes, giving the car impetus for high sales.
Is that good news replicated everywhere for Ellon Musk’s company? According to figures published by MarketWatch, all the “hoopla” received by the U.S. electric car maker hasn’t translated into sales in the U.S., looking at the first 9 months of 2014. In fact, the Model S trails Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.’s Leaf in total sales for September. The news is even more appalling for the hyped Model S as it also trails GM’s Chevrolet Volt in this year’s sales till September.
Motor Intelligence data indicates that Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. led the sales with 2,881 sold Leafs, which translates to 47% increase from last year. The sale is however said to be 9.6% less than what the company posted in August this year. However, the sale of Chevrolet’s Volt was down 21% compared to the same period last year. The company sold a total of 1,394 Volt’s, which is also 45% less than the car’s total sales in August.
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S only managed to sell 1,650 of its Model S sedans in September, 15% down from last year when the company sold about 2,000 units, according to Motor Intelligence figures. These figures are however not verified as the U.S. electric car maker doesn’t release monthly sales returns.
Considering the total sales posted by the three companies for the first 9 months of this year, Model S trails Leaf with a wide margin. The figures show that close to 22,000 of the Leaf model were sold. The figure is followed by GM’s Chevrolet Volts that sold 14,500, with Model S coming third with 12,250 in sales.
The figures are very small when compared with the general car sales in the U.S. In fact, electric vehicle sales accounts for only 1%. Many companies have set their goals high to ensure that they sell more electric cars as the cars become more accepted and the necessary infrastructure being put in place.
Ths article has been written by Victor Ochieng.
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