Details

Published: 19 April 2021

• Production
• Geely
• Belgium

Inovev forecast 90,000 units per year of the new Volvo C40

- The Swedish carmaker Volvo (a subsidiary of the Chinese group Geely) has unveiled the coupe version of its XC40 SUV (C-segment), thus following the strategy of other premium carmakers such as Audi, BMW or Mercedes who have developed a range of “coupe –SUVs”. The new model launched by Volvo is named C40, thus showing its link with the XC40.

- This name is also reminiscent of the old Volvo C30 (three-door B-segment coupe), C70 (D-segment coupe-convertible) and V40 (C-segment four-door sedan).

- Based on Volvo's CMA platform, the C40 will try to capture a younger target than the XC40, XC60 and XC90. The first model presented is equipped with the 100% electric motor of the XC40 Recharge, but we can assume that it will also be available later in thermal and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions like the XC40. The package electric motor + battery (78 kWh) enables the 100% electric C40 (named “Recharge”) to cover a distance of 420 km according to the WLTP cycle.

- According to Inovev, the new Volvo C40 could account for almost half of XC40 sales, or 90,000 units per year. The two models which share many components will be produced in the same plant, located in Ghent (or Gent) in Belgium, where the C40 will take over the V40 discontinued last year. The XC40 and C40 will also be made in China.

- The dimensions of the C40 are identical to those of the XC40, namely 4.43 m long, 1.86 m wide and 1.66 m high. The weight could be slightly less than that of the XC40 Recharge, around 2 tonnes.

    

 

Contact us: info@inovev.com 

Read more... Inovev forecast 90,000 units per year of the new Volvo C40

Details

Published: 19 April 2021

• Production
• Tata
• United Kingdom

Jaguar Land Rover to close UK plant at Castle Bromwich

- The production development of electric cars is made inevitably to the detriment of thermal cars, but their price being much higher than their equivalent with thermal engines, we can say that some of the customers will prefer to keep their vehicle longer or acquire a second-hand vehicle (even electric) rather than ordering a new electric car, at least as long as the restrictions on the circulation of thermal vehicles are not generalized in all countries in Europe.

- This phenomenon, which was very quickly materialized at Smart (which eliminated the marketing of its combustion engine cars with a quick sharp decrease of sales) may cause a general drop in car registrations over the next few years, and therefore a decrease in the volume of automobile production, with a marked aging of the vehicle fleet. It may moreover go against the objectives of reducing emissions from automobiles. This is the reason why several carmakers have announced a reduction in their production capacities and others are considering following the same path.

- The Jaguar Land-Rover group (a subsidiary of the Indian group Tata Motors) recently announced that depending on the planned generalization of electric motorization on its models (60% at Land Rover and 100% at Jaguar in 2025), it would reduce soon its production capacities, notably by closing its plant in Castle Bromwich (UK), which currently produces the Jaguar XE, XF and F-Type. These three models should be finished in 2022 or 2023. The JLR group will then have only two plants in Great Britain: Solihull and Halewood, and one in Slovakia at Nitra.

    

 

Contact us: info@inovev.com 

Read more... Jaguar Land Rover to close UK plant at Castle Bromwich

Details

Published: 19 April 2021

• France
• Production
• Hungary
• Stellantis

The Stellantis group transfers the production of the EP engine to Hungary

- The Stellantis group has decided to transfer to Hungary the production of its EP petrol engine which is a four-cylinder block of 1400 cm3 and 1600 cm3 equipped today on the Citroën C5 Aircross, DS 3 Crossback, DS 7 Crossback, Peugeot 308, Peugeot 508, Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 5008 and Opel Grandland.

- This engine, whose origins date back to the time of the partnership between PSA and BMW on medium-capacity petrol engines, has seen its volume significantly reduced, as it only represents 218,000 units produced in 2020 out of a total of 2,4 million engines produced last year by PSA, or less than 10% of the total engine production of the carmaker.

- This engine will therefore be transferred in 2021 from the French plant in Douvrin to the Szentgotthard plant in Hungary (ex-Opel engine plant) which only produced 100,000 engines in 2020 (GM original engines). The Douvrin plant produced nearly 800,000 PSA engines last year, including 218,000 EP engines and 565,000 EB2 engines (three-cylinder 1,200 cc petrol).

- The objective of the carmaker is to boost the activity of the Szentgotthard plant, which would have continued to reduce its volume with the progressive end of GM origin engines, and to transform the activity of the Douvrin plant into a plant for producing batteries cells for electric cars from 2023. The Automotive Cells Company (ACC) joint venture that will produce these batteries cells is the result of a 50/50 partnership between Stellantis and the French battery producer Saft, a subsidiary of Total.

Note: This analysis was written before Stellantis announced the production at the Douvrinplant of the third generation of the EB 3-cylinder petrol engine. The corresponding analysis will be proposed soon.

    

 

Contact us: info@inovev.com 

Read more... The Stellantis group transfers the production of the EP engine to Hungary

Details

Published: 19 April 2021

• Production

European production (passenger cars + LUVs) fell by 23.7% in 2020

- According to Inovev, European production (PC + LUV) fell by 23.7% in 2020, to 13.94 million units, against 18.27 million in 2019. The drop in volume is therefore 4.33 million units from year to year.

- France was particularly affected, with a 40% drop in production, due to the transfer of the Peugeot 2008 in Spain, amplified by the transfer of a latest Renault Clio and Peugeot 208 produced in France to the Slovenia and Slovakia.

- According to Inovev, production in Germany fell by 23% in 2020, in Spain by 20%, in Great Britain by 27.5%, in Italy by 15%, in Czechia by 17%, in Slovakia by 25%, in Poland 22.5%, Romania 25%, Hungary 26%, Slovenia 18.5%, Portugal 20% and Sweden 18%.

- If we take into account only passenger cars, the European production fell by 25% in 2020 compared to 2019, to 11.77 million units against 15.71 million the previous year, which is equivalent to a volume of 3.94 million units.

    

 

Contact us: info@inovev.com 

Read more... European production (passenger cars + LUVs) fell by 23.7% in 2020