In 2020, Volkswagen Brand Sold More Than 212,000 Plug-In Electric Cars

Volkswagen was significantly affected by the various challenges in 2020, which resulted in a 15% drop in passenger car sales year-over-year to 5,328,000 (globally). However, the plug-in segment, in particular, is booming!

The German manufacturer reports that it tripled all-electric car sales to 134,000, and more than doubled plug-in hybrid car sales to 78,000. In total, more than 212,000 plug-in cars were delivered during 2020 (up 158% year-over-year).

It's a very impressive outcome and really nice to see that 2.5% of Volkswagen car sales are all-electric. With plug-in hybrids (1.5%), the share jumps to nearly 4.0%.

• BEVs: about 134,000 (up 197% year-over-year) and 2.5% of the total volume
• PHEVs: about 78,000 (up 111% year-over-year) and 1.5% of the total volume
• Total: over 212,000 (up 158% year-over-year) and 4.0% of the total volume

During the year, Volkswagen launched nine new plug-in models on the market. Together with hybrids, sales of xEVs (BEVs, PHEVs, HEVs) accounted for 12.4% of the total volume (compared to 2.3% in 2019).

Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars said:

“2020 was a turning point for Volkswagen and marked a breakthrough in electric mobility. We are well on track to achieve our aim of becoming the market leader in battery electric vehicles. More than any other company, we stand for attractive and affordable e-mobility.”

from left: Volkswagen Beetle, Golf GTI Mk1 and ID.3

The most important electric car for Volkswagen in 2020 was the ID.3 - the first of the ID. family. Customer deliveries of this model began in September. During those several months, Volkswagen sold 56.500 ID.3 (including 14,400 in Germany), while the total number of orders in 2020 reached 68,800. It means that the ID.3 was responsible for more than a quarter of total Volkswagen plug-in car sales.

Klaus Zellmer, the board member responsible for Sales of Volkswagen Passenger Cars said:

“We really hit the bullseye with the ID.3. Even though it was only introduced in the second half of the year, it ranked in the top of the sales charts in many countries almost right away.”

Volkswagen notes also:

"In fact, the ID.3 was the most frequently delivered BEV in Finland, Slovenia and Norway in December. In Sweden, the ID.3 was actually the top-selling car in December 2020 in absolute numbers – regardless of the type of drive. In the Netherlands and Germany, Volkswagen Passenger Cars managed to leap to the number one spot in all-electric vehicles over the full-year 2020 – with a share of 23.8 percent in Germany in the BEV market and 23 percent in the Netherlands."

The second best was the retiring Volkswagen e-Golf with 41,300 units, while the third best happened to be the Volkswagen Passat GTE plug-in hybrid (around 24,000).

2021 will be mostly about the ID.4, which is expected to be the highest volume Volkswagen electric car - produced at several sites simultaneously.

More sales reports from the Volkswagen Group

In 2020 Audi Sold Over 47,000 e-tron All-Electric Cars

Porsche Taycan Sales Exceed 20,000 In 2020

Volkswagen brand passenger car sales in 2020 by market: