Category Blog

Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Ultra-compact vehicles at the "Yokohama Automotive Engineering Exhibition"

- "Yokohama Automotive Engineering Exhibition", a leading exhibition for professionals in the global automobile industry (at Yokohama from 22 to 24 May 2013) was an opportunity for Japanese carmakers to introduce a new range of vehicles they are developing : the range of ultra-compact vehicle category which resembles European carts or quadricycle, even smaller than the midget category (European A segment).

- Five vehicles were presented : Nissan (Twizy) Toyota Autobody (Com vehicles), Honda (micro commuter prototype), Gunma University, E-trike Japan Co (not really a car but more of a tricycle) and Idiada .

- The development of this new offer is a direct consequence of the government's decision to create a new category for these types of vehicles. The objective is to meet the demands of a growing aging population in Japan, wishing to get around town without using public transport and that can not use motorcycles.

- Some manufacturers (such as Toyota Auto Body) estimates that the market could eventually represent 70 000 units per year.

Data source: File #55 - Registrations in the World by makes

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Guangzhou Honda started building its third plant in China

- Guangzhou Automobile is a Chinese group that has its own minibus brand (Yangcheng and Denway) as well as branches in Joint Venture (JV) with other Japanese brands (Toyota and Honda) and Italian brands (Fiat). The vehicles produced by the JV are sometimes recognized by analysts as Guangzhou Automobile vehicles and sometimes as Toyota, Honda and Fiat vehicles. It is important not to count these vehicles twice.

- Guangzhou Honda has started building its third plant in China. Located in Canton (now Guangzhou, China), it will be operational early 2015 with an initial capacity of 120,000 vehicles per year. The volumes will then double to be reach 240 000 units per year.

- The new plant will mainly manufacture smaller Honda models. The two existing Guangzhou Honda plants can produce 240,000 vehicles each, i.e. 480 000 vehicles per year. In 2012, these two plants produced 448,748 vehicles, of which 248 884 in Wantong and 199 864 in Huangpu.

- Let us recall that Dongfeng also produces Honda Accords. This second partnership produced 135,766 vehicles in Zengcheng in 2012. A total of 584,514 Honda were made in China in 2012, and 588,900 were sold locally.

- Honda plans to increase its sales this year, thanks to the launch of new products such as the Jade model in September. The carmaker will also launch within a year, a new small off-road leisure vehicle intended to compete with the Ford Ecosport and the Buick Encore , of which we have seen the prototype at the Detroit automobile fair.

Data source: File #101 - Worldwide production detailed by models

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Hyundai is going to begin the i10 production in Turkey

- Hyundai owns a plant in Turkey since 1997 (Izmit), which currently manufactures all i20s (segment B) sold in Europe and North Africa, Turkey and the Middle East.

- The new Hyundai the i10 (segment A) will be launched this summer and its production will start at the Izmit plant in September 2013. This model completes the carmaker's range produced in Europe that today consists of i20 (Turkey), i30 (Czech Republic), iX20 (Czech Republic) and Ix35 (Czech Republic).

- As a result, the current capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year in Izmit will be doubled in 2014, rising to 200,000 units per year. Of these 200 000 (the i10 and i20), Hyundai plans to export 160,000 units in 2014 and 180,000 in 2015.

- Remember that 64,000 Hyundai i10 were sold in Europe in 2012 (against 69,000 in 2011, 88,000 in 2010 and 110,000 in 2009) and none at all in Turkey. This model is currently at the end of its life cycle. It is currently produced in India. Regarding the Hyundai i20, 73,000 were sold in Europe in 2012 and 15,000 in Turkey, 88 000 in total, all were made in Turkey.

- It is noted observing these figures that Hyundai expects a strong increase in sales of the i10 in 2014 with the arrival of the new generation, an increase of about 50% compared to 2012, a level close to that achieved in 2009-2010 with the current generation.

Data source: File #10 - Start of Production (SOP) of new and modified vehicles in Europe

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Better Place's Bankruptcy does not affect the growth of the electric car market

- Charging points are a key element in the development of electric vehicles. Carmakers are working on several charging possibilities. Collectively known as "charging systems", it consists of three main options:

- Charging points: involving rapid recharging terminals, semi-fast or normal charging terminals

- Wireless charging, which consists in recharging batteries without direct contact.

- And, a battery exchange system, which consists in immediately replacing discharged batteries by previously charged ones.

- The last-mentioned system is strongly questioned since the Better Place company has been declared bankrupt after a search for funding and very disappointing business prospects.

- In total, less than 1,300 customers have chosen to purchase "Better Place" electric cars while the company was expecting 100,000 customers a year.

- Better Place's Bankruptcy does not however undermine the growing market for electric vehicles as there are other charging systems. Thus, the Infiniti luxury brand should being marketing in 2014 a vehicle designed for wireless charging, derived from a concept introduced in 2012 (based on the Nissan Leaf) at the Paris Motor Show in Paris.

Data source: File #55 - Registrations in the World by makes

Contact us: info@inovev.com

Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Production

Which opened new plants in Europe? And who closed plants?

- When analyzing the number of European plants (excluding Russia) that have opened since 2000, and those that have closed since that date, we observe that as many have opened as closed.

- On the other hand , while 11 factories opened in Eastern Europe, 12 were closed in Western Europe. Part of the production in Europe has thus gradually moved from west to east.

- Another enlightening element while generalist brands closed eight factories and opened nine since 2000, premium brands closed 4 and opened 3. But among generalists mainly Toyota, Hyundai and Kia have opened new plants, while mainly Ford, Vauxhall (Opel) and Rover have closed plants.

- Same phenomenon for premium: those who have opened new plants are BMW, Porsche and Mercedes, while those who have closed plants are Lancia, Jaguar and Saab. Production has been moved from some less dynamic or weak brands to other more vibrant and stronger brands.

- This means that competition in Europe has led to the emergence of certain brands and weakened others. In 2014, three other factories will be closed in Europe, and once again generalist brands: Vauxhall/Opel (Bochum), Ford (Genk) and Citroën (Aulnay).