RAM will launch the Rampage pickup truck in Europe
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RAM will launch the Rampage pickup truck in Europe
- The European market (30 countries: EU + United Kingdom + Switzerland + Norway) for pickup trucks had experienced significant growth between 2010 and 2018, thanks mainly to Nissan and its Navara pickup truck. The company's CEO, Carlos Ghosn, fought hard to promote this type of vehicle in Europe, which was still very marginal at the time, contrasting with the US market, which had a high demand for pickup trucks and still does today (pick-ups represent nearly 20% of the market).
- In Europe, pickup truck sales had doubled from 2012 to 2018, rising from 57,000 to 114,000 units. However, this level was never surpassed, and sales fell to 105,000 in 2019 and then to 75,000 in 2020. After a slight rebound in 2021 (88,000 sales), the pickup truck market fell again in 2022 (62,000 sales). This was the period when the Mitsubishi L200 and Nissan Navara withdrew from the European market due to a lack of demand. Since then, the European pickup market has remained stable, at around 80,000 sales per year, driven by the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux .
- A new pickup truck will be offered in Europe from January 2026. It is the RAM Rampage. The RAM brand originated from the former Dodge Trucks division and is part of the Stellantis group, along with Dodge and Chrysler. The Rampage is the smallest pickup truck in the RAM lineup and is not sold in the United States. It is based on the platform of the previous-generation Jeep Compass and the Alfa Romeo Tonale/ Dodge Hornet. However, its length exceeds 5.00 m. This model will be imported from Brazil where it is produced. Perhaps a consequence of the Mercosur agreement discussed in a previous Auto Analysis.
Renault is halting production of the Mobilize Duo and Bento
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Renault is halting production of the Mobilize Duo and Bento
- Created in 2021, Mobilize was a Renault brand dedicated to new mobility and services, created in January 2021. It was presented as the fourth brand of the Renault group including Renault, Dacia and Alpine. The objective assigned to Mobilize was to play the mobility card outside of the classic car and traditional means of transport in order to capture up to 20% of the group's turnover by 2030.
- Among the various products marketed by Mobilize, the Duo and Bento battery electric quadricycles represented the brand's two rolling products, heirs in a way to the old Renault Twizy quadricycle (2011-2023). Production of these two vehicles was organized at the Tangier plant. Only 2,000 Duos were reportedly produced between the model's launch and July 2025, on an assembly line with a capacity of 17,000 vehicles per year. Production of the Bento never truly began (Source : Official Renault press release dated July 4, 2025).
- In December 2025, Renault announced the end of the Mobilize brand, leading to the discontinuation of the Duo and Bento models, as well as the car-sharing system associated with them. According to Inovev, the very low sales of these 2.50-meter-long models, which only accommodated two people, convinced the carmaker that their marketing was not profitable due to a lack of demand, partly attributable to their high price. At €9,990 for the license-free version, the Duo was €2,000 more expensive than the Citroën Ami quadricycle. And at €12,500 for the version requiring a B1 license, it was far too close to the Renault Twingo E-Tech, launched in 2026, which can accommodate four people and will be sold for less than €15,000 in its base version.
- It's true that when the Mobilize Duo and Bento were designed, Renault hadn't yet planned to launch a fully electric Twingo at that price. Production of the Duo and Bento will therefore cease at the end of December 2025.
The Japanese car market will grow by 3.3% in 2025
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The Japanese car market will grow by 3.3% in 2025
- The Japanese passenger car market is projected to grow by 3.3% in 2025, following a similar decline in 2024. However, for the past two decades, car sales in Japan have stagnated, and have even shown a downward trend since 2020. Japan's automotive market is indeed highly saturated, and younger generations are increasingly less interested in purchasing new cars, even Kei cars (small, specialized vehicles that benefit from incentives in Japan, particularly tax breaks). Since 2020, the Japanese car market has remained below 4 million units, compared to around 5 million units in the early 2000s and 4.5 million units in the early 2010s.
- By carmaker group, the Toyota group (Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu) remains by far the leader of the Japanese market, with 45% market share, therefore almost one in two cars, ahead of Suzuki (specialist in Kei Cars with Daihatsu ) which occupies 16% of the market, Honda (15% of the market) which loses its second place to Suzuki, Nissan (9% of the market) which is gradually becoming a small carmaker in Japan, whereas it was still in second position until 2005.
- Behind them, Mazda (3% of the market), Mitsubishi (3% of the market), and Subaru (3% of the market) occupy a small portion of the Japanese market, their sales volume becoming increasingly marginal. Finally, imports traditionally represent 6% of the Japanese market, primarily from Europe (80%) and North America (15%).
Renault has already produced 100,000 Renault 5 E-Tech
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Renault has already produced 100,000 Renault 5 E-Tech
- Renault celebrated the production of its 100,000th Renault 5 E-Tech on December 1, 2025, indicating that the brand's all-electric B-segment model is enjoying a noticeable success with European customers but mostly in France. Therefore, a total of 110,000 units can be expected by the end of December 2025, with 25,379 produced in 2024 and 84,621 in 2025. It should be noted that the average annual sales of the Renault Zoe in the B segment were 40,000 vehicles per year (i.e. a total of 430,000 units between 2012 and 2024).
- At the European level, the Renault 5 E-Tech is currently in fourth position among BEVs in 2025 (72,000 sales over the 11-month period), the model being preceded by the Tesla Model Y (121,500 units), the Skoda Elroq (76,500 units) and the Tesla Model 3 (72,500 units), but given the gap with the Tesla Model 3, the Renault 5 E-Tech could take third place before the end of the year.
- Thanks to its strong French background (1972-1984), the Renault 5 E-Tech currently achieves the majority of its sales in France (47% of total sales). It is also projected to be the best-selling battery electric car in France by 2025.
- The Renault 5 E-Tech is poised for a bright future, with a lifespan of at least seven or eight years. At current rates, it could surpass the cumulative sales figures of the Renault Zoe (2012-2024: 430,000 units) before 2030. Inovev is indeed forecasting 500,000 cumulative sales by 2030. Sales of the Renault 5 E-Tech in 2030 are expected to remain around 100,000 vehicles per year.
- The Renault 5 E-Tech could also be part of the "Small Affordable Cars" defined by the European Commission as covering electric vehicles with a maximum length of 4.2 m, since it measures 3.92 m long, or 28 cm less than the length limit.
What will be the best-selling models in Norway in 2025?
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What will be the best-selling models in Norway in 2025?
- Of the 144,359 passenger cars sold in Norway during the first 11 months of 2025, 137,796 were battery electric vehicles (BEVs), representing 95.5% of the Norwegian market. Norway is thus by far the only country approaching 100% sales of battery electric vehicles, and this well before 2035, the deadline initially set by the European Commission for all European countries. It is likely that by 2026, or at the latest by 2027, 100% of new cars sold in Norway will be fully electric. However, it should be noted that countries with small registrations (such as Nepal) can also have significant electrification rates.
- By group, the German Volkswagen Group is the market leader in Norway, with a 23% market share, ahead of Tesla (20%) and the Geely Group – including Volvo – (11%). These three producers are the only ones to exceed 10% of the market.
- By brand, the American electric car producer Tesla remains the leader in the Norwegian market, with a 20% market share, ahead of Volkswagen (13%) and Volvo (8%). They are followed by BMW (6%), Toyota (6%), Skoda (5%), Audi (4%), Ford (4%), and Mercedes (4%).
- By model, the Tesla Model Y remains by far the best-selling model in Norway (15.6% market share), ahead of the Volkswagen ID4 (4.6%), Tesla Model 3 (4.2%), Toyota BZ4X (3.8%), Volkswagen ID7 (3.8%) and Volkswagen ID3 (3.1%). It's worth noting that the 30 best-selling cars in Norway are all battery electric models. The first non-electric car appears in 31st place: the Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid.
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