European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-Oct 2016European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-Oct 2016

While the Nissan Leaf remains the best-selling electric car in other markets, the Japanese automaker’s French partner once again remains on top of the European sales charts.
The Renault Zoe was again the best-selling electric car in Europe between January and October, the most recent month with available data.
The Zoe and Leaf have traded the lead throughout the year, but the French electric car has had the advantage for the past several months.
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An updated version of the Zoe now available to be ordered could help Renault extend the streak even longer.
Headlining the changes for this model is a 41-kilowatt-hour battery pack, which replaces the previous 22-kWh and essentially doubles range to 300 to 400 kilometers (185 to 250 miles) on the European test cycle.
The updated Zoe will go on sale early next year, although orders are now being taken in certain European markets.
Nissan Leaf on scenic drives in Europe
As always, European sales data comes from the running tally of electric-car and plug-in hybrid sales kept by the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO).
In the first 10 months of 2016, the Zoe achieved 17,060 sales in Europe, giving it the largest market share at 10.6 percent.
The Leaf followed with an accumulated 15,791 sales.
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The Tesla Model S maintained its third-place spot with 10,293 sales.
The EAFO uses registration data to determine its figures, which is how it can calculate monthly Model S sales.
Tesla Motors refuses to release official monthly sales results or break down its quarterly delivery reports by country or region.
2017 BMW i3
Just outside the top three were two German electric hatchbacks: the BMW i3 (6,446 sales) and Volkswagen e-Golf (5,949 sales).
They were followed by the Kia Soul EV and Mercedes-Benz B250e, which achieved 3,811 and 2,931 sales, respectively.
Demonstrating a considerable popularity gap between Tesla’s two current models, its Model X was in eighth place, with 1,871 sales.
MORE: German government worries carmakers vulnerable to electric-car onslaught
Rounding out the top 10 were the Volkswagen e-Up (1871 sales) and Peugeot iOn (1,619 sales), two small city cars not sold in the U.S.
The e-Up is an electric version of the VW Up minicar, while the iOn is a re-badged Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
The little i-MiEV and its rebadged siblings are now the oldest electric car on the market; the design will reach 10 years in production next year, though rates were low at first.
2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid
Plug-in hybrids
The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid extend its streak as bestseller by one more month, racking up 17,290 sales through October 2016, and taking 10.7 percent of the market.
While the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid has been on sale in Europe for several years, Mitsubishi has repeatedly delayed its U.S. launch.
It’s not expected to arrive here until next summer, making it more than three years late.
As with the last time we checked in on European plug-in hybrid sales, the Mitsubishi was followed by a pair of Volkswagen plug-in hybrids also not sold in the U.S.
Through October, the Golf GTE held onto second place with 9,380 sales, and the Passat GTE remained in third place, with 8,879 sales.
The Mercedes-Benz C350e took fourth place in the plug-in hybrid rankings, with 7,780 sales, while the Volvo XC90 T8 “Twin Engine” achieved fifth place, with 7,348 sales.
2016 BMW 330e
They were followed by the BMW 330e (6,190 sales) and Audi A3 e-tron (5,188 sales).
Three more BMW models rounded out the top 10.
The i3 REx took eighth place with 4,539 sales, followed by the X5 xDrive40e SUV, with 4,139 sales.
The range-extended i3 REx is considered a plug-in hybrid for the purposes of the EAFO tally.
Finally, the 225xe Active Tourer racked up 4,092 sales.
Active Tourer hatchback models use a front-wheel drive platform, and are not to be confused with rear-wheel drive 2-Series coupe and convertible sold in the U.S.
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