e-tron vs. I-Pace vs. Model X: 2019 Sales Number Crunch
[Jan. 9, 2020]
It’s easy to argue that EVs are the future. At the same time, SUVs also seem like they’re destined to dominate America’s roadways. On top of that, expensive vehicles are trending in the automotive marketplace. So with that, let’s look at 2019 U.S. sales figures for a trio of premium EV SUVs: the Tesla Model X, the Audi e-tron, and the Jaguar I-Pace.
Before we jump in, it should be noted that raw sales figures rarely tell the complete story. For instance, the I-Pace has a base price of $69,850, the Model X starts at $79,690, and the e-tron splits the difference at $74,800, but the sales figures that manufacturers release do not usually divide out how many Model Xs were the Long Range vs. Performance (a distinction that makes a $20,000 difference), and the numbers also don’t tell how many optioned the I-Pace to the hilt, which can bring the price of this “budget” premium EV SUV to within spitting distance of a Model X Performance.
On top of that, the Audi e-tron went on sale in May 2019, although some sales figures were attributed to April. And while the Jaguar I-Pace’s first complete year of sales was 2019, Jaguar did sell 393 units from October to December 2018.
It doesn’t take a line chart to show that the Model X destroyed the e-tron and I-Pace in month-to-month sales in 2019. But since charts are more fun to look at than raw numbers, here you go:
2019 Sales by Month
The March and June peaks in Model X sales likely align with quarterly Tesla production pushes. There’s also a notable – and predictable – recovery dip following those pushes. It should also be said that while the yearly Tesla sales numbers are correct, some of the monthly Tesla numbers are industry analyst estimates. Those estimates have proven accurate in the past.
The overall yearly sales figures look like this: 19,600 Model Xs were sold in 2019, the e-tron came in second with 5,369 units, and the I-Pace brought up the rear with 2,594 EV SUVs.
Theoretically, Audi could have sold some 1,750 more e-trons in 2019 had the EV been on sale for the entire year and Audi could maintain its average of just under 600 units per month. But even then, the e-tron would have come nowhere near to matching the Model X’s comparatively massive sales figures (although 2019 Model X sales also pale in comparison to its own 2018 numbers, which were some 6,000 units higher).
Here’s how the market split between the three in 2019:
2019 Overall Sales
Model X wins. Game over.
Well, not exactly.
While it’s easy to stop there, single-year sales figures are sometimes misleading. For perspective, let’s travel back to 2016, which was the first full year of sales for Tesla’s Model X. Overlaying 2019 e-tron and I-Pace first-year sales figures against first-year monthly sales estimates of the Model X imply that Audi might be ahead of the curve. In fact, Jaguar’s EV SUV is even keeping – dare we say – pace with the Model X’s initial (albeit production challenged) showing.
First Year Sales by Month
A market comparison for first-year sales further illustrates the possibility that Audi and its e-tron may be in a great position moving forward.
First Year Sales
Yes, in a strict EV SUV head-to-head sales comparison for 2019, the Model X dominates the e-tron and I-Pace. Add in historical perspective, however, and it’s possible to see that Jaguar’s I-Pace sales may not be as dire as it first seems, and Audi’s e-tron might actually be a good horse to bet on in the race to become the dominant premium EV SUV in the U.S.
(Images courtesy of the manufacturers.)
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