LEAF smothers Volt in EV sales for March and 2014

On both the year-to-date and March 2014 frames, the Nissan LEAF is dominating sales over the Chevrolet Volt. Long-term marketing pays off.

March 2014 electric vehicle (EV) sales were up almost across the board, jumping by 25 percent as a whole over this same period last year. Sales have grown in 2014 overall as well, building up from strong January sales with a better February and now with huge March numbers being reported. For an overall look at the EV market so far, read Luke Ottaway's report here.

The all-electric Nissan LEAF topped the list with the People's Battery Electric moving 2,507 units for March 2014, getting close to its sales record from December when the new 2014 model began hitting showrooms in earnest. Year-on-year, the increase is a 12 percent uptick from March 2013. For the first quarter of 2014, the LEAF has sold 5,184 units, a near-fifty percent improvement over last year's numbers.

Compared to the Chevrolet Volt, whose sales are stagnant at 1,478 for the month of March and at 3,606 for the year so far, the Volt is falling behind and is barely even with the Toyota Prius Plug-in, which is sold only in limited markets versus the Volt's national scope.

The comparison of numbers shows two things happening in the market right now: first, people are more apt to know the difference between a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and a battery electric (BEV) today and; second, Chevy has turned marketing towards other vehicles in the lineup and away from the Volt while Nissan continues a long-term, consistent marketing strategy for the LEAF.

These two things create a more accepting and interested atmosphere for the Nissan LEAF in consumers' minds. Coupled with Nissan's pursuance of socially-driven word-of-mouth campaigns, like the new Real Owners. Real Questions. campaign, it should be clear why the Nissan LEAF is dominating electric vehicle sales both nationally and globally.