Kei Cars will represent 38% of the Japanese market in 2024 compared to 40% in 2023
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Kei Cars will represent 38% of the Japanese market in 2024 compared to 40% in 2023
- Kei-cars are small, lightweight cars (Keijidosha means "light cars") marketed in Japan, with dimensions and engine capacities imposed by Japanese regulations. Today, they must not exceed 3.40 m in length, 1.48 m in width and 2.00 m in height and the engine capacity of their internal combustion engine must not exceed 670 cm3. These cars are slightly shorter than European A-segment cars and slightly longer than Chinese A-segment cars. These cars, which are distinguished by their yellow license plates, benefit from advantages in terms of taxes and insurance.
- This category of cars has occupied nearly 40% of the Japanese market for the past ten years, after having occupied between 30% and 35% the previous ten years. It is mainly represented by the Daihatsu (Toyota group) and Suzuki brands. But in 2024, the scandal of falsified tests at Daihatsu disrupted the Kei-car market, since the sales of this carmaker collapsed during the first half of the year, part of the customer of this brand having turned to Suzuki (+ 60,000 sales), another part of the customer of this brand having postponed its purchase.
- As a result, the Japanese Kei-car market has declined by 167,000 units in 2024 (but is expected to recover in 2025, thanks to the postponement of purchases by Daihatsu customers), which reduces the market share of these vehicles from 40% in 2023 to 38% in 2024 , the lowest market share observed since 2017.
- The Nissan Sakura, which launched the all-electric Kei-car market in 2022, failed to developped on the market, dropping from 37,140 sales in 2023 to 22,926 in 2024.
The European light utility vehicle market grew by 6.9% in 2024
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The European light utility vehicle market grew by 6.9% in 2024
- The European market (30 countries: EU + United Kingdom + Switzerland + Norway) for light utility vehicles (LUV) increased by 6.9% in 2024, to 2,002,023 units compared to 1,872,519 in 2023. This is the best result in four years, but we are still far from the figures achieved in 2018 or 2019, and even more so from the figures achieved in 2007 – just before the financial crisis – the year which still holds the record for LUV sales in Europe (2,299,000 sales).
- The countries that traditionally have the highest demand for this type of vehicle remain France (379,747 units; +1.1%), the United Kingdom (354,265 units; +2.7%), Germany (281,078 units; +8.4%), Italy (198,517 units; +0.9%) and Spain (166,157 units; +13.7%).
- In terms of engines, diesel remains largely dominant, since 85% of LUVs are equipped with this type of engine (1,702,230 units; +8.8%) in 2024. Plug-in electric vehicles (BEV and PHEV) only represent 130,523 units in 2024, a decrease of 7.7% compared to 2023, mainly attributable to Germany (-27.9%), Italy (-40.9%) and Spain (-27.9%). These plug-in electric engines represented 6.5% of the LUV market in 2024 in Europe. The road to achieving a fully electric LUV market in 2035 will be long. Gasoline engines represented only 5.2% of LUV sales in 2024 in Europe, or 104,871 units and full-hybrid engines only 2.0% with 40,533 units.
- The leading LUV carmaker in Europe in 2024 remains Stellantis, ahead of Ford and Renault.
The global plug-in vehicle market represents 17.1 million vehicles (passenger cars + light utility vehicles) in 2024
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The global plug-in vehicle market represents 17.1 million vehicles (passenger cars + light utility vehicles) in 2024
- The global plug-in vehicle (BEV and PHEV) market is projected to reach 17.1 million units in 2024, up from 13.7 million in 2023, a 24.8% increase compared to 2023. This volume represents 19% of global registrations in 2024, up from 15% in 2023.
- These 17.1 million vehicles are broken down into 10.5 million BEVs and 6.6 million PHEVs.
- China alone accounts for 70% of BEV and PHEV sales, or 12.1 million vehicles in 2024 (compared to 8.9 million in 2023), an increase of 36% compared to 2023.
- Europe, for its part, represents 17% of the global plug-in market, or 2.95 million vehicles in 2024 (compared to 3.02 million in 2023), down 2.3% compared to 2023.
- The United States, for its part, represents 9%, or 1.59 million vehicles in 2024 (compared to 1.48 million in 2023), an increase of 7% compared to 2023.
- Japan accounts for only 1%, or 118,000 vehicles in 2024 (compared to 138,000 in 2023), down 15% from 2023.
- The rest of the world accounts for 3% of the plug-in market, or around 300,000 vehicles in 2024 (compared to around 200,000 in 2023), up around 50% from 2023.
- Inovev expects a BEV and PHEV market share of 24% or 25% worldwide by 2025.
Renault has unveiled its utility vehicle (LUV) models developed by Flexis
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Renault has unveiled its utility vehicle (LUV) models developed by Flexis
- Renault has unveiled its battery electric light utility models developed by Flexis, a joint venture between Renault, Volvo Trucks and the logistics company CMA CGM, a concept reminding the American Bright Drop produced by the GM group.
- These three models will be marketed under the Renault and Volvo Trucks brands. At Renault, they will use the brand's previous names: Estafette, Goélette, and Trafic. These completely new models in terms of design will be produced from summer 2026 at Renault's Sandouville site, where the current Renault Trafic and their derivatives, the Nissan Primastar and Mitsubishi Express, are already produced.
- These three models (the “Trafic” van, the “Goélette” chassis cab based on the Trafic van and the “Estafette” Step -In van) will be based on the brand new “skateboard” platform dedicated to electric vehicles, with a 800V architecture, and developped on a SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) concept.
- All models benefit from a low, flat and low loading floor and a battery pack that allows up to 450 km of autonomy.
- The carmaker expects total demand of around 15,000 units over three years (2026-2027-2028), or 5,000 units per year on average until December 31, 2028. However, demand should gradually increase according to Inovev to reach 7,000 units in 2029, 8,000 units in 2030 and so on.
A merger between Changan and Dongfeng may materialise
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A merger between Changan and Dongfeng may materialise
- For many years, the Chinese government has been encouraging local carmakers to merge in order to reduce their numbers and create groups of international stature. But Chinese carmakers (even those controlled by the Chinese government) have so far failed to meet the expectations of higher authorities. The most convincing operation dates back to about twenty years ago, which involved the merger of the Roewe and MG brands within the SAIC group. The announcement of a possible merger between Changan and Dongfeng is therefore a major event in the Chinese automotive landscape.
- Changan and Dongfeng are today two mid-weight carmakers, behind large groups like BYD, SAIC, Geely or Chery, as the volume of 2,453,596 vehicles produced in 2024 by Changan (including 433,678 foreign vehicles produced in JV) and 2,251,705 vehicles produced by Dongfeng (including 1,485,031 foreign vehicles produced in JV) are much lower than those recorded by the four carmakers mentioned above. Dongfeng is among the most weakened Chinese carmakers since the fall of foreign car manufacturing in JV, Dongfeng's most profitable activity for a long time.
- Together, these two carmakers would produce 4,705,301 vehicles, a volume higher than that of BYD (4,272,145 units) or SAIC (4,036,218 units). They would thus become the largest Chinese carmaker. The objective of this potential merger is notably to combine the ressources of the two carmakers, while streamlining and optimizing platforms, engines, innovation and technologies to enable them to compete with large private groups such as BYD, Geely or Chery.
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