Some auto groups or brands are proud of the sales of their electric models in 2022. However, upon closer inspection, there isn’t necessarily much to brag about.
Since the beginning of the year, automakers seem to have only the word “electric” on their mouths. Above all, many appear to be particularly satisfied with the commercial performance of their zero-emission models. You only need to look at the headlines of their latest press releases to be convinced. Thus, Audi is pleased to have “delivered more than 100,000 electrified models in 2022, despite difficult conditions.” The BMW Group is proud to have doubled its “sales of electric vehicles”. Finally, the last one on the way: “Volvo Cars announces annual sales for 2022, including 10.9% of all electric models.” However, this promotion of 100% electric cars hides a less flattering truth…
Tough year for the aforementioned groups and brands
Let’s say, 2022 will continue to be particularly difficult for the sector. Few brands or markets have made headway. In many cases, the results shown are worse than in 2020, the year the health crisis brought the world to a halt. Manufacturers, who used to do better with each new exercise, ended up holding back. This is the case, for example, for Volvo, which has generally been in good shape since the middle of 2010. Moreover, in the press release shared by the aforementioned brand, we can read that it “sold 615,121 cars for the whole of 2022, down 12% compared to last year.
The same applies to Audi, which says it “sold more than 1.61 million cars last year,” without giving further details, but quickly clarifies that this result is “close to the level of the previous year despite prolonged bottlenecks and major supply chain challenges.” You have to go much lower in the document to find the required value: -3.9%.Yes, it’s still modest, in fact, just 66,281 cars down from 2021. So why not say that outright?
Propeller’s manufacturer sidesteps the question a bit. The figure was announced from the introduction: “BMW Group sold 2,399,636 units (-4.8%)”.
Electric models are on the rise but they are still very modest
But when we say the headlines are clearly exaggerated is that given the total number of electric models these brands sell, they remain a drop in the bunch in comparison to the overall size. Sales of zero-emission Audi increased by 44% in 2022. That’s okay, but this is only just over 6% of total production … However, the brand with the rings planned to stop releasing only 100% electric cars from The year is 2026. We are still far away.
Same for the BMW Group. Even if electric vehicle sales more than doubled in a year, more than 91% of the cars sold last year were heat models.
The result is slightly better for Volvo with the share of zero emissions coming in at almost 11%. However, this is still very low compared to the course the Swedish manufacturer has set for itself, which is to give up thermal energy from 2025. By comparison, Norway, which has exactly the same ambition, is well on its way to achieving its goal. . Today, 4 out of 5 new cars are electric.
“to stay positive”
No, none of these teams lied about the merchandise. You can find all the information you need in their respective press releases, if you dig a little. Let’s just say that the title somewhat embellishes the reality. Why are you behaving like this? Already, there is a desire on the part of some brands to highlight their commitment to electrification. As we just saw, Audi and Volvo want to switch to 100% electric faster than others. The statements chosen, the words spoken or the way the discourse is structured must testify to this desire for change.
Finally, in communications, advertising, and marketing in general, there is a very simple principle: you must always “stay positive.” Negative turns are, if not forbidden, then at least deeply frustrating. There is also the “sandwich” technique which consists of sandwiching the bad news between two pieces of information, so that the first is less visible. With the aim of not scaring away potential current and future clients…but also investors. After all, financial statements are closely scrutinized, and words too. It is true that one single word can have a devastating effect on a company’s stock price. A manufacturer like Tesla knows something about it…
Read also on Auto-Moto.com:
Luxury cars: the crisis, what crisis?
New car sales in France: could we do worse in 2020? Yes, 2022!
Best-selling cars in France in 2022 (ranked)
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