Uruguay EV Sales Report June: BYD Dominates, Unreal Growth Brings BEV Market Share to 15%!

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We’ve grown accustomed in Latin America to outrageous headlines claiming 500%, 700%, and even 1,100% progress yr on yr. However pretty much as good an omen as these numbers are, when you learn the articles, you notice this superb progress has solely been doable due to a really low departing base: for instance, Brazil’s BEV market share was solely 0.3% in April 2023, so 1,100% progress introduced it to three% in April 2024: superb progress for certain, and an indication that there’s EV momentum, however not the sign of an instantaneous EV takeover of the Brazilian market.

Uruguay, nonetheless, appears to be reduce of a distinct material. BEV market share in June 2023 was already 2.5% (comparatively excessive for the area), but progress in June 2024 amounted to an incredible 477% YoY! This implies Uruguay has simply left each different nation within the mud and competes now with Costa Rica for the title of Latin America’s most superior EV market!

With an total market that grew by solely 2% in June, EVs at the moment are commonplace sufficient to begin consuming into ICEV market share. Moreover, since Uruguay has no information for PHEVs, that is pure BEV market share, which means our southern champion is now formally forward of most European international locations! The transition is on!

Basic overview of the market

Uruguay is a small nation, and, unsurprisingly, it has a really small automotive market, averaging some 60,000 models a yr (between 4,000 and 6,000 a month). EV gross sales information is barely obtainable from 2023, and important progress YoY may be seen even previous to June:

The primary 5 months of 2024, it appeared like this may be an inexpensive yr for Uruguay, with ~200% progress YoY and fixed will increase month on month, maybe closing the yr someplace round 7% market share.

Then, June occurred.

EV gross sales exploded: 477% progress YoY (133% progress month on month) led to a formidable 15% market share. BEVs now quantity to almost 1 in each 6 automobiles offered within the nation (that is together with gentle and heavy automobiles), and as a consequence of era being 99% renewable, their influence emissions-wise can be appreciable.

It stays to be seen whether or not June was a fluke, or whether or not demand will stay at +10% ranges for the remainder of the yr: hopefully, this isn’t a matter of a bunch of EVs arriving directly and cleansing the backlog, however a glimpse into the way forward for the auto market in Uruguay.

BYD is the undisputed chief

I don’t assume there’s a market in Latin America … no, no, scratch that, I don’t assume there’s a market within the world so blatantly dominated by just one automaker.

In June, BYD managed to get 75% of the market, give or take, with Chinese language OEM JAC and Volvo in a distant second and third place, respectively:

This wasn’t a fluke. BYD has gotten 70% of Uruguay’s EV market up to now this yr, which signifies that regardless that its share elevated barely in June, it has been the chief all through all six months:

Now, regardless that BYD has 5 fashions within the prime 10 throughout June, its dominance may be largely traced to solely two fashions: the profitable BYD Seagull, and the BYD Dolphin, branded BYD E2 within the native market. As in lots of different markets, the Volvo EX30 completes the rostrum because of its nice worth for cash.

It’s notable that BYD’s different three fashions: the T3 Van, the Yuan Plus, and the D1 Taxi, are all effectively under within the listing. JAC will get two automobiles within the prime 10: the Dolphin competitor E-S3 and the Seagull competitor E-S1 (branded E10X in most different markets); in the meantime, BMW has the iX1 in sixth place, and Geometry (a model owned by Geely) makes an look with the Geometry 6 … which, if we glance intently, offered just one/50 models, as did the Seagull.

Actually, this is without doubt one of the most lopsided prime 10 rankings I’ve ever seen.

12 months up to now, it appears very related … besides now BYD owns the entire podium (and #4), and we see the sudden arrival of a automotive most of us hadn’t heard about in a very long time, the Citroën Ami, within the 9th place.

Finally, it’s price noting that the JAC E-S3 solely began deliveries in June, which signifies that if it maintains its tempo, it may effectively find yourself within the prime 3 by the top of the yr.

Ultimate ideas

The primary thought that got here to my thoughts once I noticed these outcomes was: “Uruguay is going to electrify far faster than either Argentina or Brazil. How will people traveling from either country to Uruguay get gas in the future?”

Uruguay could look very small, but it surely isn’t. From the restrict with Argentina to the restrict with Brazil, there may be practically a 600-km drive. After all, this isn’t an issue that can come up within the brief and even medium time period … however I really feel that small international locations changing into absolutely electrified can turn into a thorn of their neighbors’ ICEV gross sales as soon as the beforehand plentiful gasoline infrastructure begins going bankrupt. This can even apply to areas inside international locations that electrify quicker, one thing fascinating to search for sooner or later.
So far as charging its EVs, Uruguay already has an honest charging community — although, early on, it deployed lots of 40kW Kind 2 AC plugs, and I don’t know what number of of those automobiles can fast-charge utilizing AC chargers (the Seagull is restricted to 5kW so far as I bear in mind).

At USD$7 a gallon, Uruguay has one of the vital costly gasoline costs within the area (and possibly the world); in the meantime, renewable electrical energy is reasonably priced and plentiful. Because the nation additionally lacks oil reserves, changing foreign-purchased gasoline with domestically sourced electrical energy is little question a win for its financial system and its vitality safety. Uruguay is rich sufficient to not fear about oil imports the best way a rustic like Ethiopia would, however oil nonetheless accounts for over 15% of its imports.

How lengthy till that goes all the way down to 10%? 5%? Any guess takers? In any case, keep tuned within the following months as we wait for brand new information and examine whether or not Uruguay’s EV market retains rising on the similar charges.