Category Blog

Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Fiat repeats that it will not close any plants in Italy

- Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat and the General Manager of Chrysler, reiterated his intention to keep all the Italian Fiat plants in operation: "I confirm that there will be no closures in Italy, but we need to use partial unemployment as there will be no stimulus in the market. "

- Fiat plants in Italy are among those that turn most slowly. Thus, the Cassino plant operating at 46% capacity in 2012, the Mirafiori plant to 32%, the Melfi plant at ... 27%. Only the Pomigliano 67% and Val Di Sangro 80% plants record correct performances.

- Overall, the rate of use of Fiat factories in Italy was of 47% in 2012 and should be even poorer in 2013 due to a decline in the European market. This is the European carmaker the most affected by lower rates.

Data source: File #105 - Production in Europe detailed by model and plant

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Volvo raises its sales targets for its hybrid V60

- Volvo has raised its production targets for the V60 Plug-in Hybrid in order to cope with demand greater than expected. The manufacturer now expects to produce 10,000 units of this model by the end of 2014 (against an initial forecast of 5000 units).

- The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is currently only available in Europe. In most European markets, buyers of plug-in hybrid vehicles get a purchase bonus or government aid, which has boosted the models sales .

- The Swedish carmaker therefor gives up Electric C30 program. Volvo acknowledges having sold a total of less than 250 units of the compact sedan that was equipped with a 150km range. The carmaker now wants to focus more on its future rechargeable or non-rechargeable hybrid vehicles.

- Volvo believes that electrical vehicles should represent at most 1% of the automotive market in 2020, while Renault expects 10%. The next hybrid model marketed by the Swedish brand will be the XC60 plug-in hybrid.

Data source: File #55 - Registrations in the World by makes

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

The production of the Opel Astra in Rüsselsheim will be stopped in 2015

- In connection with the production transfer between plants of the Opel brand, the German site Rüsselsheim will host the Zafira minivan production from 2016 (this model is now produced in Bochum) while the Rüsselsheim plant will stop producing the Astra in 2015.

- From 2016 the Astra will only be produced Ellesmere Port (UK), under the Vauxhall name, and in Gliwice (Poland) under the Opel name.

- The Polish plant will therefore increase its production of Astra recovering the production volume from Rüsselsheim.

- Let us recall that the Astra was produced in Europe at four different locations until 2010 Bochum (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium), Ellesmere Port (United Kingdom) and Gliwice (Poland).

- The decline in sales of this model on the European market since the early 2000s and the search for lower costs from General Motors led to the withdrawal of half the sites that produced the Astra and the preference for a site located in low-cost Eastern Europe (Gliwice).

- Remember that the next Astra is scheduled for 2015, in other words just before its transfer.

Data source: File #101 - Worldwide production detailed by models

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Chevrolet does not compensate for Opel's loss in the European market

- In Europe, the GM group sells vehicles under the Opel (Vauxhall in Britain) and Chevrolet brands. The Opel brand has seen its sales fall by 5.3% in Europe in the first four months of 2013 (compared to the first four months of 2012), to 279,409 units, its market share stays stable at 6.7% .

- The Chevrolet brand was unable to compensate for this loss since its sales in Europe fell by 32.7% in the first four months of 2013 (compared to the first four months of 2012) to 45,706 units, its market share falling from 1.5% to 1.1%.

- The Chevrolet brand should benefit from the rising demand for smaller, affordable cars, but it was adversely affected by an aging range. Spark Sales (segment A) and Aveo (segment B), which represent nearly half of the volume of Chevrolet on the European market, decreased by 37% (to 12,245 units) and 44% (to 10,235 units) between January and April. The Chevrolet Trax (mini SUV) has not brought a real boost to the brand.

- It is estimated that sales of Chevrolet in the European Union should continue to decline until 2016, when the Spark, Aveo and Cruze will be replaced. These sales would then go back to 200,000 units, after falling to 148,000 units in 2015. The brand sold 172,000 cars in Europe last year (- 3% compared to 2011).

Data source: File #55 - Registrations in the World by makes

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Renault and Nissan are going to increase their capacity in India

- Renault and Nissan plan to increase by a third the capacity of their joint Chennai plant in India in the second half of 2013, increasing from 360,000 units per year to 480,000, as from September.

- This project is part of the strategy of these two carmakers to make India a a global manufacturing platform and to exploit the potential demand in the market and for export.

- In 2012, Renault-Nissan Chennai plant produced 180,000 vehicles (Micra, Sunny, Duster, Fluence and Koleos NV200), against 130,000 in 2011 and 40,000 in 2010, the date it opened. It is still far from the demand of 480,000 vehicles per year, but the direction of Renault-Nissan plans in the long term such growth.

- Exports accounted for almost half of the total production of the site last year, nearly 90,000 vehicles, mainly the Micra exported to Europe. 60,000 were sold in 2012 on this continent.

- In addition, since the 1st January 2013, the Duster and Sandero sold in Britain also come from the Chennai plant. The production of the Sandero started earlier this year.