Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Nov: Leaf Grows, Volt Wanes (FINAL UPDATE)

Sales of plug-in electric cars continued at a steady pace in November, reflecting continued strong vehicle sales of all types in the U.S. market.

The Nissan Leaf set a new November record at 2,687 cars sold, its 22nd straight month of sales increases year-over-year, while the Chevy Volt delivered 1,336 cars last month.

And while all eyes were on BMW to see if its i3 electric car could maintain the sales level of more than 1,000 i3 electric cars it delivered in August, September, and October, the German company fell short.

There were 816 BMW i3s delivered in November--both battery-electric and range-extended versions--bringing the total for the six months it's been on sale to 5,079.

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In its first full month on sale, another German maker delivered 119 battery-electric cars: That's the sales total for the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf.

A surprise gainer was the Smart Electric Drive minicar, which logged 313 deliveries in November--its highest-ever monthly total. Smart has now sold 2,423 electric minicars in 11 months, as well as 923 last year as well.

As always, Tesla Motors does not report monthly sales of its Model S electric luxury sedan, so there's no precise data on where that vehicle ranks in overall sales.

Leaf leads by huge margin

With the Renault-Nissan Alliance having crossed global deliveries of 200,000 electric cars last month, the Nissan Leaf is firmly ensconced as the world's best-selling plug-in car of any variety.

Total global sales are above 140,000, with several thousand more being built and sold each month. That's roughly double the number of Chevy Volts or Tesla Model S cars delivered over the same period.

Last month's U.S. sales of 2,687 brings the 2014 total to 27,098 with one month left, and the total number of Leafs sold in the States to 69,220 since December 2010.

Meanwhile, sales of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric hatchback appear to be declining, with this year's sales likely to be as much as 20 percent lower than last year's.

That reduced pace will likely be maintained through next summer, when the new 2016 Chevy Volt will go on sale.

ALSO SEE: UPDATED: 2016 Chevrolet Volt To Launch In January: What We Know So Far

The updated Volt, which will have an all-new body, a revised powertrain with a new range-extending engine, more electric range, and higher fuel efficiency, will be unveiled at next month's Detroit Auto Show.

Last month, 1,336 Volts were delivered, against 1,920 in November 2013. That brings the year-to-date total to 17,315--against 20,702 last year at this time--and total Volt sales since December 2010 to 71,867.

Plug-in hybrids

The next group of sales last month includes 451 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid hatchbacks. It's the third consecutive month that sales--which hit a high of 2,692 last May--are below 500 units. The 11-month total is 12,772.

California's "green stickers," giving plug-in hybrids and range-extended electric cars access to the carpool lane, are now largely depleted--possibly a cause.