Netherlands Full Year 2019: Tesla Model 3 confident #1, hits largest annual model volume since 2000

The Tesla Model 3 sells almost 30.000 units in the Netherlands in 2019.

Consult over 35 years of Dutch Historical Data here.

Once again the Dutch new car market is heavily disrupted in December due to looming tax changes. From 1 January 2020, the first 45.000€ of the price of electric cars is taxed 8% instead of 4% for the first 50.000€ in 2019, any additional amount is now taxed 22% which is the same rate as combustion cars as a whole (their entire price). As a result, manufacturers selling EVs and polluting combustion cars have loaded on demo sales of self-registrations in December, remodelling the charts entirely. Overall December sales in the Netherlands are up 113.9% to 42.436. Tesla (+463.8%) is the most blatant culprit in rushed registrations, with it traditional policy to fill up end-of-quarter months combining with the urgency of the impending tax surge for all its expensive models to produce an out-of-this-world 12.482 sales and 29.4% share. Subaru (+709.1%), Audi (+675.1%), Mazda (+283.1%) and Hyundai (+248.5%) also load up on artificial sales in December. Model-wise, as we described a few days ago the Tesla Model 3 breaks the country’s all-time monthly volume record with preliminary figures (12.062) lowered to 12.053 which is just one unit above the previous record held by the the Peugeot 308 in December 2015 (12.052). The Audi e-Tron (+1773.6%), Hyundai Kona (+396%), Nissan Leaf (+313.5%), Renault Zoe (+1128.9%) complete a Top 5 fully electric, while the new MG eZS surges 121 spots on November to break into the Top 10 at #6.

Similarly to Sweden, this tax-induced last minute December surge enables the Dutch new car market to edge into positive for 2019 at +0.6% to 446.114, marking a third consecutive gain and the largest annual tally since 2012. Volkswagen (-5.5%) remains the most popular brand by far but sees its share thaw to 10.6%, while Opel (-11.2%) is up one spot to #2 despite a steep fall and Tesla (+259.6%) surges 16 spots to climb onto the annual podium at #3 and 6.9% share. Peugeot (-7.4%) remains #4, distancing Toyota (+15.7%) in outstanding shape. Renault (-31.8%) implodes from #2 to #6, enduring the worst fall in the Top 20. Below, Mercedes (+22.9%), Jeep (+21.1%), DS (+16.8%), Honda (+15.2%), Audi (+13.8%), Hyundai (+13.6%) and Mazda (+13.3%) are the most dynamic. We welcome (back) MG, now Chinese-owned, in the Dutch charts at #30.

The Tesla Model 3, which sold only 5 units in 2018, storms into the 2019 pole position with just under 30.000 sales and 6.7% share, almost 2.5 times the amount of the #2, the VW Polo (-11.4%) down from #1 in 2018. In fact, the Model 3’s December 2019 score alone is less than 1.000 sales below the Polo’s volume for the entire year… The Model 3 reaches the largest annual volume for any nameplate in the Netherlands since the Opel Astra sold 31.641 units in 2000. The Ford Focus (+71.9%) takes full advantage of the new generation to surge 14 spots on 2018 and climb on the third step of the podium, distancing the VW Golf (-4.4%) and Kia Niro (+57.8%). The Toyota Aygo (+13.7^) is the only additional Top 10 model posting a year-on-year gain just as the Kia Picanto (-27.2%), Renault Clio (-24.2%) and Ford Fiesta (-18.2%) all implode. The Toyota Corolla (#24) and VW T-Cross (#41) top 2019 launches.

Previous post: Netherlands December 2019: Tesla Model 3 breaks all-time monthly volume record

Previous month: Netherlands November 2019: Tesla Model 3 back in charge in market up 13.6%

Previous year: Netherlands 2018: New gen lifts VW Polo to #1, Jaguar i-Pace holds 13.1% share in December

Two years ago: Netherlands 2017: Clio second Renault to top annual charts in 36 years

Full Year 2019 Top 50 All-brands and Top 360 All-models vs. Full Year 2018 figures below.

Full December 2019 Top 40 All-brands and Top 235 All-models below.