With the Epiq, Skoda attacks the electric market from below
- 说明
With the Epiq, Skoda attacks the electric market from below
- Skoda presented its new small battery electric B-segment SUV, named Epiq, which will be marketed next year. This model is shorter than its thermal engine counterpart, the Kamiq, as it measures 4.10 m compared to 4.25 m for the Kamiq. In fact, the Skoda Epiq will be the same length as the Fabia B-segment sedan (thermal engines only).
- Announced for around 25,000 euros (before bonus deduction), the new Skoda Epiq is one of these long-awaited new battery electric small models because they are marketed at a more reasonable price than the battery electric models sold today in Europe. The excessively high price of these vehicles constitutes one of the obstacles to the development of BEV market in Europe. Since the beginning of 2024, sales of this type of vehicle have stagnated in Europe at 13% market share, while the European regulation of April 19, 2023 only authorizes from 2035 the registration of zero emissions vehicles and alternatively ones operating exclusively with CO2 neutral fuels.
- Luckily, carmakers are preparing the launch of BEVs sold at a price of between 20,000 and 25,000 euros (before deduction of bonuses). The new Citroën e-C3 starts at an announced price of 23,300 euros, or 19,300 euros bonus deducted. The future Fiat Panda presented in July 2024 should be sold at a similar price. The future Volkswagen ID2 which will share its platform with the Skoda Epiq will be in the same price range. The Renault 4 and 5 E-Tech are announced at very competitive prices. As for the future Renault Twingo E-Tech, it could be offered at a price close to 20,000 euros (before deduction of the bonus), thanks to its Franco-Chinese design.
- The Dacia Spring is currently priced at 18,400 or 19,900 euros depending on the version, but it is no longer eligible for the ecological bonus. This is the cheapest battery electric car on the market today. A Leapmotor T03 is priced at 25,900 euros and it is not entitled to the bonus either as long as it is imported from China (a production in kits, SDK – Semi Knocked Down –, seems planned in Tichy in Poland, but with however an uncertain guarantee to benefit from the bonus, at least in France).
Chinese carmakers represent 8.5% of the European BEV market in the first quarter of 2024
- 说明
Chinese carmakers represent 8.5% of the European BEV market in the first quarter of 2024
- While Chinese carmakers represent only 2.5% of the European light vehicles market (passenger cars and light utility vehicles), all motorisations combined, over the first four months of 2024 (27 European Union countries + United Kingdom + Switzerland + Norway), they already represent 8,5% of the European battery electric vehicles market (BEV) over the same period. They have in fact registered just over 50,000 BEVs out of 594,000 BEVs between January and April 2024.
- This situation demonstrates that Chinese carmakers have mainly entered in Europe thanks to their battery electric models, and this sales volume does not take into account European models imported from China, such as the Smart or the Dacia Spring. If we include these three models, the market share of BEVs imported from China increases to 11% over the first four months of 2024.
- If we also include the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model 3 imported from China which are not assembled in factories owned by Chinese carmakers, the market share of BEVs imported from China rises to 17%.
- What are the best-selling Chinese BEV brands in Europe in the first quarter of 2024?
- The MG brand (belonging to the SAIC group) is in the clearly taking the lead as it sold 27,000 BEV over the period, or 54% of all Chinese brands, i.e. more than half.
- In second position, BYD registered 10,000 BEV sales, a strong growth compared to the first four months of 2023 (i.e. 20% of all Chinese brands).
- In third position, Polestar (6,500 sales, or 13% of all Chinese brands).
- The other Chinese brands represent 6,500 sales or 13% of all Chinese brands.
The Chevrolet Onix is the most produced car in Brazil in 2023
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The Chevrolet Onix is the most produced car in Brazil in 2023
- Brazil (2.2 million passenger cars and light utility vehicles produced in 2023) fell to eighth place in the world in 2023, behind South Korea and Mexico, but this country remains a country with high potential given its population and (slow) development of its middle class. The three most important carmakers in the country traditionally remain GM, Fiat and Volkswagen.
- The most produced car in Brazil last year remains the Chevrolet Onix launched in 2012 and renewed in 2022. This model, which is also the best-selling model in Latin America in 2023, has held this leading position in Brazil since 2016. It succeeds the Volkswagen Gol which held the leading position for several decades and which has now completely disappeared. The Hyundai HB20, which is its direct competitor, is in second position, followed by the Fiat Strada pick-up. In fourth position, the Volkswagen Polo is not doing as well as the old Gol. Behind, different models are very close one to the other, such as the Renault Kwid, Volkswagen T-Cross, Toyota Corolla Cross, Chevrolet Tracker, Hyundai Creta and Fiat Argo.
- Overall, the Brazilian Top 10 production increasingly look likes the Indian Top 10, with models from A and B segments, addition of small sedans (five models in the Top 10) and small SUVs (four models in the Top 10), illustrating the still relatively low purchasing power of Brazilian customers. The Indian clientele, which comes from afar, has partly caught up with the purchasing power of the Brazilian clientele, at least when we compare the Top 10 of the two countries.
- Like in India, the electric market is nearly inexistent (0.7% of BEVs on the Brazilian market in 2023).
The range of BEVs of GM in USA is expanding
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The range of BEVs of GM in USA is expanding
- After a period of conservatism in the battery electric vehicle market with the Chevrolet Bolt then the Silverado EV pick-up, the GM group announces that it is investing more massively with high-margin models. This strategy does not integrates the BEVs sold in China under the Wuling and Baojun brands which are small cars specifically designed for the Chinese market. In North America, the GM group targets mid-range and high-end SUV customers, which are the most popular vehicles in this region.
- The GM group concluded an agreement in 2022 with the Japanese Honda to design and produce new battery electric vehicles intended mainly for the American market. But this agreement was recently cancelled by Honda and consequently, the GM group must continue alone on the path of electrification of its models.
- The battery electric platform designed by GM and Honda will therefore have only been implemented twice at Honda (Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX) but it already mounted on six models at GM (Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Buick Electra E4, Buick Electra E5, Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac Optiq) to which other models could be added in the future.
- This platform named GM BEV3 by the American carmaker covers vehicles from 4.75 m to 5.00 m and will be joined in the medium term by a smaller GM BEV2 platform for compact models (4.50 m to 4.75 m) and in the longer term by a GM BEV1 platform intended for subcompact models (4.25 m to 4.50 m). Compared to Tesla, GM's BEV models are distinguished by a different design adapted to each brand. The volumes produced (250,000 units per year worldwide for all six models), however, will be much lower than (1.2 million SUVs produced worldwide in 2023).
The Suzuki Baleno is the most produced car in India in 2023
- 说明
The Suzuki Baleno is the most produced car in India in 2023
- India is the fifth largest automobile producing country in the world (5.8 million passenger cars and light utility vehicles produced in 2023) behind China, the EU, the United States and Japan. Thanks to its small cars, the Japanese Suzuki has occupied the largest share of the Indian market and Indian automobile production since the 80s. Even today, Suzuki represents 40% of the Indian market and Indian automobile production.
- For many years and until 2017, the small Suzuki Alto occupied the first place in the market and in local production, but since then, the Indian market and production have become relatively more middleclass.
- No premium model in the Top 10 but the models present in this Top 10 are a little larger and a little more expensive than the old Alto. There are seven Suzuki models in the Top 10 in 2023. There is no undisputed leading model that is well ahead of the other models. The differences between the top ten models remain small.
- The most produced model last year was the Suzuki Baleno (B-segment sedan) ahead of the Suzuki Swift (B-segment sedan), the Suzuki Wagon R (B-segment SUV) and the Suzuki Dzire (B-segment sedan, in deed a 4 doors derivate from the Swift). These are followed by the Tata Nexon (B-segment SUV), Suzuki Brezza (B-segment SUV = Suzuki Vitara), Hyundai Creta (B-segment SUV), Tata Punch (A-segment SUV), Suzuki Ertiga (B-segment MPV) and Suzuki Eeco (rustic A-segment minivan).
- India therefore remains a country of small cars (A and B segments). The electric market is nearly inexistent (0.5% of BEVs on the Indian market in 2023).