Nissan LEAF is still far ahead of all the other plug-ins.
Thanks to its introduction very early on (December 2010), relatively high volume and sales worldwide, Nissan was able to put the LEAF at the forefront of all plug-ins. The advantage in cumulative sales is so high - over 375,000 were sold so far - that even several mistakes/problems or delays didn't knock the LEAF out of its top spot yet.
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The second best-selling electric car in the world is the Tesla Model S - over 253,000! Model S is doing superb, however it will never be mainstream like the Nissan LEAF.
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The next three places belong to plug-in hybrids: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (178,509), Chevrolet Volt (176,767) and BYD Qin (173,232 of PHEV & BEV). Toyota Prius PHEV misses out on the top 5.
The future of plug-in hybrids in the Top 5 is misty, as BAIC EC-Series (150,000) and Tesla Model 3 (103,000) are adding some 20,000 units a month (at least in October). On the other hand, the Chevrolet Volt will be discontinued, while Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was hit in its biggest market in UK.
- Nissan LEAF: 375,619
- Tesla Model S: 253,078 (estimated)
- Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: 178,509
- Chevrolet Volt (all versions): 176,767
- BYD Qin (PHEV & BEV): 173,232
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