- In the first four months of 2013, 4,968 new electric vehicles were sold in France. The hybrid market seems more promising with 15,292 new vehicles sold in France in the first four months of 2013, three times more than the 100% electric vehicles.

- At this rate, the electric car market could reach between 15,000 and 20,000 vehicles throughout the year 2013, and the hybrid car market between 45 000 and 50 000 (against 9000 electric vehicles and 28,000 hybrid vehicles in 2012). The market for electric and hybrid vehicles has doubled each year in France.

- The increase in the number of charging stations for electric vehicles in France do not yet follow this trend. Today, France has 5,000 charging points listed (including 4000 Autolib terminals), a volume comparable to that of the Netherlands or Great Britain. When the Paris car sharing system is excluded, the country has fewer charging stations than Germany, Italy or Portugal.

- To be in line with the sales growth of electric vehicles and catch up on some of its European neighbors, France should be endowed with 10,000 public terminals in 2013, 20,000 in 2014 and 30,000 in 2015.

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

- AB Volvo has just joined the Chinese carmaker Dongfeng. The Swedish manufacturer of trucks formed a joint venture in China with the heavyweights division of the Chinese group, 55% owned by Dongfeng and 45% by Volvo.

- Daimler Trucks, which was number 1 for several years in the category of trucks, must thus face a very strong competition. It now faces the Volkswagen Group (with MAN and Scania) and Volvo AB (with Dongfeng).

- In 2012, AB Volvo produced 180,000 trucks, while Dongfeng produced 186,000. Daimler Trucks assembled 436,000 commercial vehicles, including 236,000 trucks and 200,000 light commercial vehicles (Sprinter and Vito). Volvo AB, which does not produce light commercial vehicles, will therefore become through its partnership with Dongfeng the worlds number one in front of Daimler Trucks . Let us recall that the OICA defines the trucks as a vehicle of more than 3.5 tons.

- Daimler Trucks are also facing competition from the Volkswagen group. That will create an alliance in the field of trucks with its subsidiaries MAN and Scania. The entire group wishes to take the lead on Daimler in the commercial vehicle market by 2020.

- China is the land where the three major truck manufacturers will compete. In fact, China is the largest market for this type of vehicle. Last year, 636,000 trucks were sold in China (more than the U.S. and European markets combined), nearly 30% by Dongfeng, the Chinese market leader.

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

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

- As noted previously (see: The Australian production has dropped by half since 2004), the Australian production is doomed to disappear in the medium term.

- Ford has confirmed this forecast by announcing this week that it would close permanently in October 2016 its two plants in Australia.

- Local production is no longer viable, said the manufacturer, who invoked the high production costs, the strength of the Australian dollar, a very diverse market resulting in the low volume per model as well as the losses that Ford has had in the country.

- The carmaker produces vehicles in Broadmeadows (in the state of Melbourne) and engines in Geelong (in the state of Victoria). Ford, who produced its first vehicle in Australia in 1925, will stay present the country as an importer.

- The vehicle the most produced by Ford was the Falcon that has been seeing  a dramatic drop in sales for a dozen years, as its competitor at GM (Holden) the Commodore.

- In Australia only three carmakers are still present (GM, Ford, Toyota), Mitsubishi stopped its production in 2008.

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