What is your definition of high volume sales?

I consider the mid-size sedans and pick ups to be high volume sales.

60k/yr is reasonable for saying a model has broken through from niche. Keep it US only since some models aren't globally available.

 

IMHO:

1. USA sales only - we do not know enough about other countries and cultures.
2. >>2,500 is well penetrated.
3. 2,500-3,500 solid, mid level, has customer driven market sales.
4. 1,000-2,500 third level, subject to easily disappearing.
5. <1,000 specialty or testing technology with small scale production. May be 'compliance' for CARB market.

Bob Wilson

 

CY 2012:
Source: 2012 U.S. Vehicle Rankings - Top 266 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - Every Vehicle Ranked - GOOD CAR BAD CAR

Overall Market 14,492,398

Ford F-series: 645,316
Camary: 404,886
Prius: 147,507
Chevy Volt: 23,461
Chevy Corvette: 14,132
Nissan Leaf: 9819
Insight: 5846
Dodge Viper: 20

My Takeaway:
Like many things in life, Big is in the eye of the beholder.
I tend to agree with Bob that 5,000 units starts to feel like a mass produced car rather than a hand-built line, but Corvette owners may tend to think of themselves as being in a less mass produced car than say......a Camary.

YMMV.

 

i suppose something in the top ten is appropriate.

 

The leaf broke 59,000 in sales in 2014, but I would not call it mainstream. It is a niche vehicle. But these numbers and mainstream are pretty meaningless terms. Compared to the sales of the corolla, elantra or focus (around 1M cars each), or even the Prius (315,000 units worldwide in 2013) its not a hot seller.

The model S with 30,000+ sold last year is pretty mainstream for the sports sedan category. The bmw 3 series is the big seller here with 500,000 sold in 2013. Still the model S is just starting in many of those markets, and super charger networks need a few more years. No the model S is rather mainstream in the sports sedan market in California or Texas where super chargers are already built.

So there has got to be a better term than mainstream. Perhaps > than n percent in its segment (lets say 2%). Mainstream is not very meaningful as a yard strick, and it is difficult to define.

plug-ins have quite a bit of seasonality to them, much more so than bread and butter cars like the corolla or focus. Yearly, not monthly sales are more meaningful. I guess if we separate markets the (aqua/prius c) is mainstream in Japan but not the US, but again I'm not sure that is meaningful. The high volumes of the aqua in Japan bring economies of scale to the prius c, allowing for good cost reduction.