- Apart from the new Tesla factory which will be built in Berlin (Germany) with a capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year initially, then 300,000 per year in the long term, there will be no construction of new factories in Europe specially dedicated to battery electric vehicles (BEV). Carmakers has decided to change the lines of some of their plants producing thermal cars by “switching" them to the exclusive production battery electric cars.

- Volkswagen has “transformed" its Zwickau plant into a factory dedicated to BEVs (200,000 ID3 and ID4 per year under three different brands). Volkswagen has announced that it wants to do the same with Emden and Hanover factories: Hanover will produce the future electric Kombi, Emden will produce the future ID5 and its derivative SUV. The project is however delayed because the factory is currently producing the Passat which must be transferred to a new factory in Turkey where the country is living internal tensions. Volkswagen has announced that it will continue to produce the electric VW Up, Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo (and their replacement ID1) in Bratislava in Slovakia. Volkswagen could produce the future ID2 in Pamplona in Spain.

- Renault has announced that it will focus the production of its electric cars in Douai (Zoé, EV Mégane and future electric SUVs from three different segments). The Douai factory will therefore be turned into an electric car factory after the removal of the Scenic, Talisman and Espace in 2022 or 2023. The electric Renault Kangoo and electric Mercedes Citan will be produced in Maubeuge and not in Douai. It is not yet known where the Dacia Spring ZE will be produced.

- The other carmakers have indicated that their electric models are and will be produced in existing factories alongside thermal cars. Ford has not released its BEV plans that will be derived from the VW IDs. Japanese and Korean carmakers will import their electric vehicles. The Chinese MG imports its ZS EV from China.

- Sales of non-rechargeable hybrid passenger cars (HEVs) totaled 936,332 units in Europe (29 countries) in 2019, compared to 606,210 in 2018 and 460,418 in 2017. This volume represents an increase of 54.5% compared to 2018 and a doubling of sales compared to 2017.

- And the figures for the first quarter of 2020 confirm this strong increase, with a volume of 309,832 units, which represents an increase of 48.7% compared to the first quarter of 2019.

- The HEV market share for the first quarter of 2020 thus exceeds 10% of the European market for the first time. It is the most popular category of electrified cars in Europe. Conversely, diesel engines (which are probably the main target of non-rechargeable hybrids) continue to decline. Its market share fell to 28% of the European market in the first quarter of 2020, compared to 31% in 2019, 36% in 2018, 45% in 2017 and 50% in 2016.

- The performance of the HEV is noteworthy because it is mainly based on the results of two carmakers, the Toyota group (90% of total HEV sales) and the Hyundai-Kia group (10% of total HEV sales).

- For the Toyota group, HEV sales today represent 60% of its sales in Europe, which has been increasing steadily for the past twenty years. Initially concentrated on the Toyota Prius, hybrid powertrain has spread to almost the entire Toyota range (Yaris, Corolla, CHR, RAV-4, Camry and all Lexus).

- Sales of plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles (PHEV) reached 197,682 units in Europe (29 countries) in 2019, compared to 182,768 in 2018. This volume represents an increase of 8.2% compared to 2018, an low increase compared to the 100% electric cars (BEV) and non-rechargeable hybrids (HEV) sales, with respectively, an increase of 78.3% and 54.5%.

- With 197,682 units, the market share stands at 1.3% for PHEV, 2.3% for BEV (358,882 units) and 5.9% (936,332) for HEV, for a total of 9.5% for the whole of 2019, i.e. almost one in ten sales.

- New PHEV models were put into production in 2020, such as the Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 508, Citroën C5 Aircross, Renault Captur, Land Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport, BMW X1, BMW X2, Ford Kuga, Jeep Renegade, Jeep Compass, Mercedes Class A, which should increase the market share of this type of vehicle.

- One of carmakers' objective is in particular to extend this technology to vehicles in larger market segments (D, C and B), in order to comply with the CO2 targets set by European regulations, the emission measurement standards being favourable on paper for PHEV.

- In the first quarter of 2020, plug-in hybrid cars represent 3.2% of the European market, 100% electric cars 4.3% and non-plug-in hybrid cars 10.2%, for a total of 17.7% or sales on five and a half which is a new record, close to one in five sales. No conclusion or trend can be drawn from these figures, given the exceptional period experienced by all automotive markets in the world during the lock down period.

- The Volkswagen and Ford groups have activated their global alliance after long months of negotiations, discussions having started as early as July 2019. If the common projects had already been mentioned by the two players, no concrete elements had been communicated so far. Today it’s done for some of them.

- Volkswagen and Ford will focus much of their cooperation on light utility vehicles (LUV). Three projects have been identified:

1.The first will concern the pick-up market and will be launched in 2022. Ford will take the lead here since the future VW Amarok will be based on the Ranger and will therefore be assembled alongside it in South Africa, at Silverton.

2.The second project will concern the production by Volkswagen, on behalf of Ford, of an urban delivery van which will this time be based on the new generation of Caddy unveiled in 2020. The future Ford Transit Connect and VW Caddy will therefore be produced in Poland, from the second half of 2020 for the new Caddy and from 2021 for the Ford.

3.Then will be added to the cooperation, a light utility vehicle that can go up to a ton of load. The project remains to be detailed, but it is confirmed that Ford will take the lead in the development and production. The idea is that the Transporter is developed and produced by the American carmaker and becomes a derivative of the Transit Custom.

- Passenger cars will also be on the cooperation program, in the strategic area of electrical vehicles. Ford will here benefit from Volkswagen's MEB platform in Europe to have zero emission products in its product range. The agreement is for the moment on a C-segment BEV (battery electric vehicles) which will be assembled by Ford in Cologne.