German carmakers are well ahead of French carmakers
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German carmakers are well ahead of French carmakers
Inovev compared the evolution of the global production volume of French carmakers with that of the production volume of German carmakers from 2010 to 2024. It is first necessary to clearly define what is meant by "French carmakers" and "German carmakers".
1. French carmakers:
In addition to the major historical French carmakers, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroën, we must add their acquisitions such as Dacia (1999), Nissan (1999), Samsung (2000), Avtovaz (2011) for Renault, Chrysler Europe (1978), GM Europe (2017) for PSA. The PSA-FCA merger in 2021 is taken into account by Inovev, as Stellantis is a group with strong French (and also Italian) influence. Stellantis could also be considered a 50% French and 50% Italian group.
In addition to the major historical French carmakers, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroën, we must add their acquisitions such as Dacia (1999), Nissan (1999), Samsung (2000), Avtovaz (2011) for Renault, Chrysler Europe (1978), GM Europe (2017) for PSA. The PSA-FCA merger in 2021 is taken into account by Inovev, as Stellantis is a group with strong French (and also Italian) influence. Stellantis could also be considered a 50% French and 50% Italian group.
2. German carmakers:
In addition to the major historical German carmakers, Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW, we must add their acquisitions such as Audi (1965), Seat (1986), Skoda (1991), Bentley (1998), Lamborghini (1998), Porsche (2012) for Volkswagen, Smart (1998) for Mercedes, Mini (1994), Rover (1994), Rolls-Royce (2003) for BMW.
In addition to the major historical German carmakers, Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW, we must add their acquisitions such as Audi (1965), Seat (1986), Skoda (1991), Bentley (1998), Lamborghini (1998), Porsche (2012) for Volkswagen, Smart (1998) for Mercedes, Mini (1994), Rover (1994), Rolls-Royce (2003) for BMW.
Implementing this definition here, we observe that German carmakers have gradually gone from a volume of 16 million vehicles produced each year between 2017 and 2019 to 13.5 million in 2024. For French carmakers, the situation is even worse, since their production volume has gone from 14 million units in 2017-2018 to 8.5 million in 2024. Despite the contribution of FCA in 2021, French carmakers lost Avtovaz in 2022 and Nissan in 2023.
Tesla sales dropped drastically in January and February 2025
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Tesla sales dropped drastically in January and February 2025
- Tesla's global sales continue to decline in January and February 2025 , much more significantly than in 2024 (-15 % in January and -33% in February) , and it doesn't seem to be solely due to the generational change of the Tesla Model Y.
1. It is in Europe (30 countries = EU + United Kingdom + Switzerland + Norway) that the fall in Tesla sales is the strongest , with -46% of sales in January and -43% in February compared to January and February 2024, distributed as follows: -39 % for the Model 3, -45% for the Model X, -48% for the Model S, -53% for the Model Y. A total of 25,620 Teslas were sold in Europe in January-February 2025, compared to 46,133 in January-February 2024, representing 1% of the European market compared to 2% the previous year. It should be added that the Model 3 and Model Y represent 98.5% of Tesla sales in Europe.
2. In the United States, Tesla sales fell by 8% in January and 5% in February , compared to January and February 2024, with a volume of 83,900 sales over the 2-month cumulative period compared to 89,710 in 2024, representing 3.5% of the market compared to 4.0% the previous year. By model, we note +30% for the Model S but -10% for the Model Y, -20% for the Model X and -27% for the Model 3. Remember that in the United States, the Model S represents only 2% of Tesla sales and the Model X 4%, with the Model 3 and Model Y representing 94% of Tesla sales on the US market.
3. In China, Tesla sales are down 11% in January and 49% in February compared to January and February 2024 , with a volume of 93,926 units against 131,812 in 2024, representing 2.4% of the market against 3.8% in January-February 2024. Here, the generation change of the Model Y can be a plausible explanation for this sharp decline because the Model 3 is stable while the Model Y falls by 48%, with Model S and Model X sales remaining anecdotal on the Chinese market.
- The months of March and April 2025 will be closely analyzed to determine whether Tesla's sales decline continues.
Will new BEVs under 30,000 euros revive the European market?
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Will new BEVs under 30,000 euros revive the European market?
- While in recent years, car prices have increased significantly and the offer of 100% electric models has tended to be around 35,000 to 50,000 euros (a Volkswagen ID3 costs 35,000 euros, a Tesla Model 3 costs 40,000 euros, a Tesla Model Y costs 45,000 euros), carmakers have announced that a number of them will launch 100% electric models for less than 30,000 euros to expand their range and meet a demand that cannot currently be satisfied. For several months, the launches of 100% electric cars under 30,000 euros have been accelerating, in line with these announcements. Let us mention the most representative models: Citroën e-C3 (23,300 euros to 27,800 euros) equipped with a 44 kWh battery, Fiat Grande Panda EV (24,900 euros) equipped with a 44 kWh battery, Renault 5 E-Tech (27,990 euros) equipped with a 40 kWh battery, Hyundai Inster (29,250 euros) equipped with a 49 kWh battery, Kia EV2 (price not communicated) equipped with a 49 kWh battery.
- Other models in this price range are expected to be launched in 2026, such as the Renault Twingo E-Tech, Volkswagen ID1/ID2, Skoda Epiq , and Cupra Raval. Chinese carmakers will also be worth keeping an eye on, as they may invest in the market, despite their disadvantage of not being able to benefit from the ecological bonus. The Leapmotor T03 is already available in Europe, priced at €20,000, but this model was only released in 2024 in a thousand units.
- In any case, these new 100% electric models costing less than 30,000 euros will not be able to revive the European market as a whole. (they should represent only 7% of the European market in 2030), but they will be able to revive the European electric market which has not progressed since 2024. In 2030, BEVs as a whole could represent 35% of European production (passenger cars + light commercial vehicles) compared to 14% in 2024, 13% in 2023 and 10% in 2022.
Mercedes to reduce production capacity in Germany
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Mercedes to reduce production capacity in Germany
- After Volkswagen announced that it wanted to reduce its production capacity in Germany by 734,000 vehicles per year, it is now Mercedes' turn to announce that it wants to reduce its own by 100,000 units, still in Germany, probably in Rastatt , where the A-Class, B-Class, GLA and EQA are produced, as the carmaker has announced that it will cease production of the A-Class and B-Class at the end of 2025.
- Mercedes' current production capacity in Germany is one million vehicles per year, distributed as follows: 350,000 in Bremen, 250,000 in Rastatt, 250,000 in Sindelfingen and 150,000 in Düsseldorf. The Rastatt site is therefore expected to increase from 250,000 to 150,000 vehicles per year from 2026. The total Mercedes GLA and EQA were produced in 2024 at 148,665 units, compared to 152,495 in 2023, but the carmaker does not rule out transferring part of this production to its Hungarian plant in Kecskemét where manufacturing costs are 70% lower according to it . In any case, the carmaker plans to reduce its workforce in Germany, without announcing the exact number. Mercedes also announced that it is transferring part of its German car production to its American plant in Tuscaloosa, specifically the production of models destined for the United States, in order to avoid the increase in customs duties on European imports decided by Donald Trump , which is expected to reach 25%.
- Finally, with Mercedes Group's global BEV sales down 23.1% in 2024, the carmaker announced that it was abandoning the idea of selling 100% electric vehicles by 2030, and that it would launch more petrol and diesel cars than 100% electric cars over the next five years, thus encouraging the transfer of part of the customer base from electric to thermal. Other carmakers have announced plans to follow this same strategy.
Kia to produce new EV2 electric model in Slovakia
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Kia to produce new EV2 electric model in Slovakia
- Like its compatriot Hyundai, the Korean carmaker Kia regularly completes its range of 100% electric cars, which began with the EV6 (D-segment sedan) measuring 4.68 m long and the EV9 (E-segment SUV) measuring 5.01 m long. Last year, the EV3 (C-segment SUV) measuring 4.30 m long was added. These three models are based on the same e-GMP platform shared by Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. In 2025, another model will be added to these three 100% electric models on the same platform. This is the Kia EV2 (B-segment SUV), which takes the style of the Kia EV3 but in more modest proportions (4.00 m long) but is a little more imposing than those of its compatriot, the Hyundai Inster (3.83 m), which has a different appearance.
- This new model is part of the series of 100% electric compact models offered in Europe for less than 30,000 euros, which have been launched since last year by carmakers, such as the Citroën e-C3, Renault 5 E-Tech, Fiat Grande Panda EV, Hyundai Inster which will soon be joined by the Renault Twingo, Skoda Epiq , Cupra Raval, Volkswagen ID1 and ID2.
- In the Kia range, the EV2 will replace the comparable-length combustion-engined Rio, which was withdrawn from the European market last year. It will be equipped with a choice of an LFP battery, providing a WLTP range of 300 km, or an NMC battery, providing a WLTP range of 450 km.
- Kia will produce the EV2 in Europe, at its Slovakian plant in Zilina, from autumn 2025, in response to the ambitions of Chinese carmakers who want to establish themselves in Europe today. The carmaker is counting on an initial volume of 80,000 units per year and then 100,000 per year, which seems very ambitious. Kia should then increase the production capacity of its Zilina plant, currently set at 300,000 vehicles per year. In 2024, this plant produced 287,000 cars ( Ceed , XCeed , ProCeed , Sportage ).
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