Passenger car production in the Czech Republic has significantly exceeded its pre-Covid levels
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Passenger car production in the Czech Republic has significantly exceeded its pre-Covid levels
- Czech output has significantly surpassed pre-Covid levels: a record 1.5 million units in 2025, vs 1.0 million in 2014, 0.5 million in 2004 and 0.2 million in 1990.
- Before 1990, Škoda was the country's only producer - apart from Tatra's few limousines for communist officials.
- Volkswagen's acquisition of Škoda in 1991 drove steady growth: 300,000 units in 1990, 600,000 in 2005, 900,000 in 2025.
- Škoda's success rests on a much broader range (10 models by 2026), improved quality and prices below Volkswagen's.
- The country also attracted Hyundai, Toyota and Stellantis - the latter two sharing one plant 50/50 until 2022.
- After Stellantis left in 2022, Toyota doubled its output thanks to the Yaris (transferred from France) and the Aygo X, which captured customers of the Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1.
Passenger car production in Spain has not returned to pre-Covid levels
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Passenger car production in Spain has not returned to pre-Covid levels
- Spain, Europe's second-largest producer behind Germany, has not returned to pre-Covid levels: 1.7 million cars in 2025 vs 2.3 million in 2019 (a gap below 600,000 units). Output had exceeded 2.5 million in 2003-2004, when Spain was the top relocation destination.
- Who is responsible for the decline of recent years? Mainly Stellantis and Ford.
- Stellantis: from 1 million cars in 2007 to 600,000 in 2025 (C4 Picasso, C4 Cactus, C-Elysée, C3 Aircross, Meriva, Crossland, 207, 301 discontinued). Ford: from 400,000 in 2007 to 100,000 in 2025 (Mondeo, S-Max, Galaxy, Transit Connect discontinued). Renault: 550,000 to 350,000 units since 2016, largely due to the end of the Mégane.
- The Volkswagen Group held steady at 700,000 units in 2025, as in 2022 and in 2010-2014: SEAT's decline was offset by Cupra's growth, and the Polo's relocation to South Africa by the T-Cross and Taigo.
Nissan is considering producing the Kicks in Sunderland
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Nissan is considering producing the Kicks in Sunderland
- Produced since 2024 in Brazil and Mexico for Latin American markets, the Nissan Kicks—a B-segment compact SUV featuring a full-hybrid powertrain—is set to launch in Europe in 2027. The European version will be manufactured at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in England. This facility is currently underutilized; in 2025, it operated at 60% of its capacity, producing 274,905 vehicles out of an annual capacity of 450,000. This is despite the plant handling three models on its assembly lines (the Qashqai, Juke, and Leaf), with two more—an all-electric Juke and a model from the Chinese brand Jaecoo—expected to arrive by 2027.
- The Nissan Kicks will arrive in Europe alongside the launch of the new electric Nissan Juke, which will also be produced in Sunderland. It appears that the Nissan Kicks is intended to gradually replace the combustion-engine Nissan Juke, a model that dates back to 2019. The new electric Juke will not be offered with a combustion engine.
- The Nissan Kicks will be available with an "e-Power" full-hybrid system—a powertrain already featured in the Qashqai. It is worth noting that this system differs from Renault’s hybrid technology: in Nissan’s setup, the wheels are driven exclusively by an electric motor, whereas in Renault’s system, either the combustion engine or the electric motor can drive the wheels.
- Measuring 4.30 meters in length, the Nissan Kicks will compete in the European market against models such as the Renault Captur (4.23 m), Peugeot 2008 (4.30 m), VW T-Cross (4.11 m), Hyundai Bayon (4.18 m), and Kia Seltos (4.43 m). For comparison, the current Nissan Juke measures 4.21 meters.
- Inovev forecasts annual sales of 45,000 units for the new Nissan Kicks in Europe.
Passenger car production in Germany has not returned to pre-Covid levels
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Passenger car production in Germany has not returned to pre-Covid levels
- Pre-Covid, German output exceeded 5 million units a year (1998-2018). The Covid crisis cut it to 3 million by 2021.
- Recovery started in 2022 and reached 4 million units in 2023, where production has stabilized - still 1 to 1.5 million below the 2011-2017 levels. Who is responsible for this drop?
- The Volkswagen Group leads the decline: 2.6 million units in 2017 vs 1.8 million in 2025 (-0.8 million). New EV models have not offset the fall of ICE models such as the Golf.
- Relocations made it worse: the Passat moved from Emden to Bratislava (Slovakia), the Kombi from Hanover to Kocaeli (Turkey); the Touran and Arteon ended without successors.
- Opel and Ford also contributed: the Fiesta (Cologne) and Focus (Saarlouis) were discontinued, Opel Astra output collapsed, and the Vectra, Zafira and Insignia were phased out. Mercedes partly relocated to Kecskemét (Hungary) from 2012.
Market share of BEVs in Europe (31 countries): 17% in 2025 (7 months) and 23 % in 2026 (8 months)
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Market share of BEVs in Europe (31 countries): 17% in 2025 (7 months) and 23 % in 2026 (8 months)
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