The Ford Puma is the most produced and best-selling MHEV model in Europe (29 countries) in 2023
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The Ford Puma is the most produced and best-selling MHEV model in Europe (29 countries) in 2023
- The MHEV engine, which means mild-hybrid, is a thermal engine (petrol or diesel) which is associated with very light electrical assistance (generally 48V) to support the thermal engine during acceleration phases. This allows a small reduction of the vehicle consumption and CO2 emissions.
- Compared to a European market (29 countries = EU + UK + EFTA) of 2.6 million MHEVs in 2023, representing a market share of 20%, the production volume of MHEVs reached 2.15 million units last year, the vast majority of which being marketed in Europe.
- The most produced (and best selling) MHEV in Europe in 2023 is the Ford Puma (143,000 units), a B-segment SUV, ahead of the Fiat Panda (111,000 units) and Fiat 500 (87,000 units). Behind, we note the presence of the Audi A4 (60,000 units), Ford Focus (59,000 units), Nissan Qashqai (56,000 units), Mercedes C-Class (48,000 units) and Volkswagen Golf (45,000 units).
- MHEV models represent around 15% of the European automobile production in 2023, but this figure is expected to increase as the offer is expected to grow significantly in the years to come, both in 48V and 12V. MHEV models could represent 25% of European automobile production in 2030.
- We can see that the MHEV engine, which was first developed by premium carmakers, is now being developed strongly on compact models by mainstreams carmakers. However, if we count the volumes by brand, the Premium carmakers are well represented in the Top 5. Certainly, Ford is the leader (with 242,000 sales) but Audi is second (237,000 sales), BMW is fourth (187,000 sales) and Mercedes is fifth (178,000 sales).
Nissan ends production of the Leaf in Europe
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Nissan ends production of the Leaf in Europe
- Nissan ended European production of the Leaf (battery electric C-segment sedan) in March 2024. The Leaf has been produced at the British Sunderland site since 2012 with a total of 325,000 units produced there. This accounts for half of the 650,000 units produced worldwide, meaning England, Japan, and the United States.
- The Nissan Leaf was ended in Europe at the same time as the Renault Zoé (battery electric B-segment sedan) in France which was born at the same time, in 2012, these models having then represented the two products of the Renault-Nissan group's major offensive in the market of battery electric cars in Europe. The group then led by Carlos Ghosn was investing in the battery electric car market, which was still embryonic at that time, with the aim of becoming the undisputed leader in this emerging market.
- With hindsight, we are obliged to recognize that this objective was not achieved, undoubtedly because the management of the Renault-Nissan group did not really believe in the development of electric cars and allowed itself to be overwhelmed by the other carmakers, such as German carmakers or Chinese carmakers.
- After the discontinuation of the Renault Zoé and Nissan Leaf, Renault and Nissan must now separately rebuild a range of battery electric cars competitive with the more than 9 million of this type of car sold worldwide by their competitors in 2023.
Global automobile production (PC+LUV) by region in 2023
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Global automobile production (PC+LUV) by region in 2023
The volume of global automobile production (PC+LUV) increased by 9% in 2023,according to Inovev estimates, which tends to demonstrate that automobile carmakers decided to destock last year, after a restocking observed in 2022, the automobile market having grown by nearly 13% in 2023. This destocking is reminiscent of the significant destocking observed during the years 2020 and 2021 due to the erratic activity of automobile factories (consequences of the health crisis, then the semiconductor crisis ). In total, more than 91 million vehicles were produced worldwide in 2023, including 55 million on the Asian continent (60% of global production). Europe saw its production increase by 14%, more than Asia or the two Americas. This is a welcome recovery after three years of decline. The most depressed region was the Russia-Ukraine-Belarus region due to the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The C-segment represents 35% of the European PC market (29 countries) in 2023
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The C-segment represents 35% of the European PC market (29 countries) in 2023
- The segmentation of the European passenger car market in 2023 shows that the C-segment remains predominant, with a 35% market share, a stable figure compared to 2005. The B-segment closely follows the C-segment, with a market share of 32% in Europe in 2023, showing growth compared to 2005 (26%), but remaining relatively stable over the past decade. The other three segments (D-E-A) are much more marginal. D-segment will not exceed 13% in Europe in 2023, in slow but constant decline since 2005 (this segment then represented 16% of the market), undoubtedly due to high prices. This trend is mirrored in E-segment which does not exceed 7% of the European market in 2023, instead of 9% in 2005. Finally, A-segment, while bringing together the least expensive models on the market, has gradually fallen to 5% of the European market in 2023, compared to 7.5% in 2018, 9.5% in 2013 and even 12.5% in 2009.
- Interestingly, it appears that it’s not the customers abandoning these models, but rather the carmakers themselves who no longer wish to sell them due to their low profitability or who price them too high, particularly (though not exclusively) in their electric versions. Let’s also remind that these segments A-B-C-D-E include sedans, station wagons, coupes, convertibles, MPVs and SUVs.
- When analyzing the European market by body type, the year 2023 sees an equal distribution of sedans-hatchbacks and SUVs (both at 50% and 48%, respectively). Sedans still represented 80% of the European market between 2005 and 2009, and SUVs less than 10%. MPVs have practically disappeared from the market (1% of the market in 2023 compared to 10% in 2009). As for Vans (passenger transport versions of light utility vehicles), they remain stable at 1% of the market in 2023.
Kei cars represented nearly 40% of the Japanese market in 2023
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Kei cars represented nearly 40% of the Japanese market in 2023
- Kei-cars are small light cars (Keijidosha means “light cars”) marketed in Japan, with dimensions and engine capacities required by Japanese legislation. Today, they must not exceed 3.40 m in length, 1.48 m in width and 2.00 m in height and the displacement of their thermal engine must not exceed 660 cm3. These cars are a little shorter than European A-segment cars and a little longer than small Chinese A-segment cars. These cars, which are distinguished by their yellow license plate, benefit from advantages in terms of taxes and insurance prices.
- This category of cars, which has represented nearly 40% of the Japanese passenger car market for around ten years, is mainly represented by the brands Daihatsu (Toyota group) and Suzuki. In 2023, out of 1,587,000 Kei cars sold in Japan, these two brands represented 963,000 units, or 60% of this market in approximately equal shares. Honda represents 20%, Nissan 10% and the Mazda-Mitsubishi-Subaru-Toyota combination 10%.
- Since 2021, some Kei-cars have evolved towards electric engines, undoubtedly due to changes in legislation. 554 battery electric kei cars were sold in 2021, then 27,221 in 2022 and 44,544 in 2023. It is mainly the Nissan Sakura which developed this electric Kei-car market: 21,887 units in 2022 and 37,140 in 2023.
- It is this type of electric car that Renault would like to import into Europe, A-segment cars (closest to Kei cars) tending to disappear from the European market (market share of 5% in 2023 compared to 12.5% in 2009). The Smart Fortwo and Volkswagen Up! no longer being marketed, there are no longer any electric cars less than 3.50 m long marketed on the European market.