Toyota will launch a small series of fuel cell cars in 2015

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Toyota will launch a small series of fuel cell cars in 2015
 
- Electric cars equipped with fuel cells have the advantage of making their own electricity by converting the hydrogen stored in a tank into electricity to run an electric motor and operate the car. Traditional electric cars equipped with batteries don't produce their own electricity and need to be recharged.

- Fuel cell car’s autonomy is higher than electric battery car’s, since it depends only on the presence or absence of hydrogen in the tank. This type of car emits only water vapour.

- But the manufacture of hydrogen (off-vehicle or in-vehicle) and  storage of fuel (hydrogen, methane, alcohol) in recharging stations remains a difficult issue of such vehicles.

- In spite of  the difficulties to market such cars in significant volume, many prototypes have been developed by carmakers in recent years. General Motors and Toyota have in particular conducted tests (thanks to the Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota Highlander), as well as Hyundai-Kia and Renault-Nissan (on the Hyundai iX35 and Nissan X-Trail).

- Some carmakers want now to test the concept on the roads. Honda was the first to market a fuel cell car (Honda FCX Clarity), sixty copies were sold worldwide (mainly in California) since 2008 for $600 per month.

- Mercedes followed Honda by launching the B-Class equipped with a fuel cell (for 850 dollars a month). These models were destined to carry out full-scale tests. A production in small volume  could be launched in 2015.

- But only Toyota has announced its plans to launch in 2015 a small series of cars equipped with fuel cells, unveiled under the form of a prototype named FCV.
 
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The new Nissan Rogue will be produced in Korea and the USA

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The new Nissan Rogue will be produced in Korea and the USA
 

- The Japanese Nissan Rogue was until this year an SUV whose range was situated between the Murano and Qashqai. It was sold exclusively in North America. From 2014, the new Rogue will be identical to the new Nissan X-Trail (never sold in North America),

 


- The Rogue has become the second best-selling Nissan model in the United States, behind the Altima sedan. In the first nine months of 2013, 124 669 units were sold, which represents an annual rate of 160 000 units.


- All the Rogues sold in North America are currently from Japan. But the new Nissan policy to reduce exports from Japan to North America has led the carmaker to produce half in South Korea and the other half in the United States.


- Renault-Samsung will therefore assemble 80 000 Rogue per year at its plant in Busan starting from the second half of 2014. The entire production will be exported to North America, which will allow Nissan to meet the high demand for this model in the U.S. market.


- Nissan will start the production of the new Rogue at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, at a rate of 80 000 units per year starting from the second half of 2014.

 
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World regions where manufacturers set up their plants

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World regions where manufacturers set up their plants
 

- We have already seen that the first 6 global carmakers have plant operating regions that are very different. The same goes for the following 6 manufacturers (from the 7th to 12th worldwide manufacturer).


- The Fiat-Chrysler group makes its vehicles at 74% in North America (Chrysler) and South America (Fiat). Europe accounts for 25% of the total production of the group (Fiat) and Asia only 1%. This is the only major manufacturer to have such little presence in Asia.


- The Honda Group manufactures more in America (51%) and Asia (45%), its region of origin. Europe accounts for only 4% of world production of the group.


- PSA produces mainly in Europe (71%). Its production in Asia (19%) is increasing year by year. It is already twice the amount that was achieved in America (South).


- The Suzuki group produces 96% in Asia, its region of origin. This is the least globalized manufacturer worldwide.


- The BMW group produces mainly in Europe (68%), but its foreign production increases every year.


- In the same way, Daimler produces mainly in Europe (79%), and external production is increasing year by year. It is currently the least decentralized European manufacturer.

 
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Volkswagen will launch its low price vehicle in 2016

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Volkswagen will launch its low price vehicle in 2016
 
- Volkswagen announced it would launch its low price vehicle in China in 2016. The future model (segment A) will be marketed under a new brand at a price averaged under 8,000€.

- The German group could sell this model throughout Southeast Asia and India, but it does not intend to sell this vehicle on the European market, in order not to penalize the Volkswagen Seat and Skoda brands present in the region. These brands offer indeed city cars such as the Up, Mii and Citigo at rates between 9,000 and 10,000 €.

- Volkswagen, who up to now was absent from the segment of low price cars, believes that this segment has great potential. According to its own estimates, 8 million low price vehicles were sold worldwide in 2012, representing more than 10% of the global car market.

- According to Volkswagen, the global market for low price cars is expected to double by 2018, from 8 million to 16 million units, which represent the volume of the entire European market (all models) at that date.

- It is to be noted that Volkswagen will launch its low price model in partnership with FAW, one of its two Chinese partners who manufactured in 2013 nearly a million and a half vehicles for the German carmaker.
 
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Fiat increases its production capacity in China for the arrival of new models

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Fiat increases its production capacity in China for the arrival of new models
 
- The joint venture between GAC (Guangzhou Automotive Corporation) and Fiat-Chrysler currently has one plant in China, located in Changsha (Hunan province of China), with a capacity of 140 000 units a year.

- The Viaggio compact sedan is the only model currently produced on site. The Viaggio hasn't yet meet its expected success. Indeed, less than 32 000 units were sold in China in the first nine months of the year. This corresponds to an annual rate of less than 50 000 units in a market of about 20 million units. A second model will be produced on this plant, the new SUV Jeep Cherokee, planned for late 2014 / early 2015 (90 000 units a year).

- However, Fiat-Chrysler maintains its goal of 500 000 sales in China in 2015. To achieve this, the joint venture expects the arrival of new models, requiring it to increase its production capacity in China.

- In this objective, a second plant (located in Guangzhou) with a production capacity of 160 000 vehicles per year is currently under construction. It  will produce off-road vehicles from the Fiat brand, models from the GAC brand as well as electric vehicles whose brand has not been specified. It could be a new brand dedicated to this type of vehicle, such as other brands that already exist in China.
 
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  1. Plants currently under construction in China
  2. A twelfth Volkswagen plant in China
  3. Comparison between Daimler / BAIC
  4. BYD plans to build a plant for electric buses in Europe
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