US additional tariffs could reduce exports from Europe by 200,000 vehicles
- 说明
US additional tariffs could reduce exports from Europe by 200,000 vehicles
- The new 25% additional tariffs on vehicles imported from the EU and UK, imposed by the US administration on April 5, sheds light on the flow of vehicles between these two regions of the world.
- In 2024, according to Inovev's calculations, approximately 860,000 passenger cars were exported from Europe : 730,000 from the European Union and 130,000 from UK. According to Eurostat and the SMMT, just over 900,000 vehicles were exported from Europe: 806,000 from the European Union (source Eurostat) and 102,000 from Great Britain (source SMMT). The USA is the leading destination for European vehicle exports, representing approximately 21.5% of total European exports.
- Of these exported vehicles, 42% are D-segments, 28% E-segments and 20% C-segments. The leading exporting automobile groups are the German carmakers: 26% from the VW group, 24% from Mercedes and 19% from BMW. This is followed by the Geely group (in fact Volvo) with 13% of exports and the Tata group (Land Rover, Jaguar) with 12%.
- What impact could this new additional tariffs have on European exports to the USA? It will initially depend on the duration of this measure: 1 month? 1 year? More? The duration of this measure could depend on the pressure that could be exerted both by carmakers on American soil (carmaker and supply chains) but also by the distributor network which risks seeing a drop in sales in the short term (in the event that there is NO buying transfer to models produced on American soil). In addition, the rate of this surcharge could also vary over time if negotiations open between the USA and Europe. If this additional tariffs were to run throughout 2025 at a constant rate of 25%, Inovev estimates that exports could decrease by 200,000 units compared to 2024 .
- C and D segment vehicles could be the most affected, such as the Mercedes GLC (D segment SUV), Volvo XC60 (SUV-D), Mercedes C-Class (Sedan-D) or Audi Q3 (SUV-C), which are in the TOP 5 vehicles exported from Europe and for which a tax increase could significantly impact the final sale price and therefore a portion of the customer base. In addition, some carmakers could be tempted to interrupt deliveries of their vehicles while waiting for better visibility on the duration of this measure.
- If this measure were to continue beyond 2025 (or even 2026), European carmakers could adjust their industrial strategies: transfer of production of certain models, addition of production lines in the event of saturation of capacities, or even construction of a new plant. Especially since for German carmakers, other plants outside Europe are also affected, mainly from Mexico. These subjects relating to production plants will be analyzed in more detail in the next edition of AutoAnalyses.
Kia completes its BEV range with the EV4 C-segment sedan
- 说明
Kia completes its BEV range with the EV4 C-segment sedan
- Korean automaker Kia is rapidly expanding its BEV range. Following the EV6 sedans and EV9 SUVs, then the EV3 SUV, and finally the EV2 B-segment SUV unveiled a few weeks ago, here comes the EV4 C-segment sedan, which will complement the EV3 C-segment SUV as well. This sedan is a hatchback , meaning it has a fifth door at the rear.
- The new all-electric Kia EV4 will be produced at the Slovak site in Zilina, like the all-electric Kia EV2, alongside the Kia Ceed, XCeed , ProCeed and Sportage, which are thermal and full-hybrid models. The Korean carmaker is giving new life to its Zilina plant by entrusting it with the assembly of all-electric cars.
- The Kia EV4 measures 4.43 m, an unusual length for a car in this segment, which bodes well for exceptional roominess. It is 7 cm longer than a Peugeot e-308, 14 cm longer than an MG4, 17 cm longer than a Volkswagen ID3, and 22 cm longer than a Renault Mégane E-Tech. These four sedans are the Kia EV4's main competitors. In Korea, an even longer (4.73 m) four-door EV4 version (i.e., no hatchback) is available.
- The Kia EV4 is based on the Hyundai-Kia Group's E-GMP 400V modular platform, like the Kia EV6, for example. It features a 204 hp (150 kW) electric motor located at the front. Two battery packs are available: the first has a capacity of 58.3 kWh, allowing a range of 410 km, and the second has a capacity of 81.4 kWh, allowing a range of 590 km.
- Inovev expects to produce 30,000 EV4s in Europe by 2027 and 50,000 by 2030. The launch of the electric EV4 is expected to come at the expense of the internal combustion engine Kia Ceed , XCeed and ProCeed . As a result, the Zilina plant's annual capacity of 300,000 cars is not expected to be increased.
Facing Tesla, BYD offers 22 different models (BEV and PHEV)
- 说明
Facing Tesla, BYD offers 22 different models (BEV and PHEV)
- Faced with the American Tesla, which only has four passenger car models in its range (Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X), all equipped with only 100% electric engines and two of which remain in limited distribution (Model S and Model X), its Chinese competitor BYD has 22 different models , 5 of which are available in 100% electric version (BEV) or in plug-in hybrid version (PHEV), 7 of which are available only in plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) and 10 of which are available only in 100% electric version (BEV).
- In total, BYD manufactured and sold 4,058,139 passenger cars worldwide in 2024, including 2,312,184 PHEVs and 1,745,955 BEVs. Meanwhile, Tesla produced 1,773,443 passenger cars in 2024.
- BYD became the sixth largest carmaker in the world in 2024 , thanks to exponential growth in sales due in particular to its wide range of products from the B to the D segment and the choice of its engines.
- Of the 4,058,139 passenger cars produced by BYD in 2024, 2,330,048 were sedans, 1,712,698 were SUVs, and 15,393 were MPVs (minivans). By segment, D-segment sedans and SUVs remain the dominant segment in BYD's production, with 2,888,561 vehicles in this segment (71% of the total), 637,587 in the B segment, and 531,991 in the C segment.
- Note that Tesla's best-selling models, the Model 3 and Model Y, are also in the D segment. This is the ultimate family car segment. It's also a high-margin segment.
- Let us add that BYD also has two subsidiaries ( Denza , Yangwang ) which together produced 133,489 cars in 2024.
MG has renewed its two SUVs, HS and ZS, which represent 60% of its sales in Europe
- 说明
MG has renewed its two SUVs, HS and ZS, which represent 60% of its sales in Europe
- Chinese carmaker MG (since 2005) has sold the most cars in Europe (30 countries = EU + United Kingdom + Switzerland + Norway) in recent years. In 2024, it sold 244,595 cars compared to 229,341 in 2023, representing 2% of the European market. Its two best-selling models in Europe are the ZS (B segment) and HS (C segment) SUVs. These two models sold 94,000 and 49,000 units respectively in 2024, representing nearly 60% of its total sales last year.
- MG has decided to renew these two models, whose careers began in 2017 and 2018 respectively . The new versions have seen their dimensions increase substantially, with the new ZS reaching a length of 4.43 m compared to 4.31 m for the old model, and the new HS reaching 4.67 m compared to 4.57 m for the old model. The two new models thus find themselves at the limits of their segment, with the ZS eyeing the C segment and the HS the D segment. Only their respective prices still allow them to be included in the B and C segments.
- The new ZS is available in full-hybrid (F-HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and all-electric (BEV) versions. The engine used in both the HEV and PHEV versions is a 1.5-liter gasoline engine.
- The new HS is available only in petrol (Thermal) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions. The engine used is the same as the one fitted to the ZS, namely a 1.5-litre petrol.
- The carmaker expects to sell more than 150,000 ZS and HS vehicles in Europe by 2025 (out of a total of 250,000) , despite higher prices compared to older models. It should be noted that MG has still not decided to produce cars in Europe.
German carmakers are well ahead of French carmakers
- 说明
German carmakers are well ahead of French carmakers
Inovev compared the evolution of the global production volume of French carmakers with that of the production volume of German carmakers from 2010 to 2024. It is first necessary to clearly define what is meant by "French carmakers" and "German carmakers".
1. French carmakers:
In addition to the major historical French carmakers, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroën, we must add their acquisitions such as Dacia (1999), Nissan (1999), Samsung (2000), Avtovaz (2011) for Renault, Chrysler Europe (1978), GM Europe (2017) for PSA. The PSA-FCA merger in 2021 is taken into account by Inovev, as Stellantis is a group with strong French (and also Italian) influence. Stellantis could also be considered a 50% French and 50% Italian group.
In addition to the major historical French carmakers, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroën, we must add their acquisitions such as Dacia (1999), Nissan (1999), Samsung (2000), Avtovaz (2011) for Renault, Chrysler Europe (1978), GM Europe (2017) for PSA. The PSA-FCA merger in 2021 is taken into account by Inovev, as Stellantis is a group with strong French (and also Italian) influence. Stellantis could also be considered a 50% French and 50% Italian group.
2. German carmakers:
In addition to the major historical German carmakers, Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW, we must add their acquisitions such as Audi (1965), Seat (1986), Skoda (1991), Bentley (1998), Lamborghini (1998), Porsche (2012) for Volkswagen, Smart (1998) for Mercedes, Mini (1994), Rover (1994), Rolls-Royce (2003) for BMW.
In addition to the major historical German carmakers, Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW, we must add their acquisitions such as Audi (1965), Seat (1986), Skoda (1991), Bentley (1998), Lamborghini (1998), Porsche (2012) for Volkswagen, Smart (1998) for Mercedes, Mini (1994), Rover (1994), Rolls-Royce (2003) for BMW.
Implementing this definition here, we observe that German carmakers have gradually gone from a volume of 16 million vehicles produced each year between 2017 and 2019 to 13.5 million in 2024. For French carmakers, the situation is even worse, since their production volume has gone from 14 million units in 2017-2018 to 8.5 million in 2024. Despite the contribution of FCA in 2021, French carmakers lost Avtovaz in 2022 and Nissan in 2023.