GM innovations at the Shanghai Motor Show 2019
- 詳細
GM innovations at the Shanghai Motor Show 2019
- The GM group is the second largest manufacturer in China after the Volkswagen group, with a volume of 3.627 million vehicles sold on this market in 2018 (compared to 3.893 million units in 2017). In China, the GM group markets the Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands.
- The GM group suffered a 6.8% drop in sales in China in 2018, a more significant decline than the Chinese passenger car market as a whole (-4.1%). The American manufacturer therefore intends to re-boot its sales in 2019, which is why it presented many new products at the Shanghai Motor Show this year.
- Chevrolet unveiled the entry-level Onix sedan (C-segment sedan replacing the Cavalier), the Monza sedan (D-segment sedan between the Cruze and the Impala), the Tracker SUV (replacing the Trax), the Trailblazer SUV (which is derived from the Blazer sold in North America), the Orlando SUV (which is a 7-seat variant of the Tracker), and the Carryall SUV (which is a 7-seat variant of the Trailblazer).
- Buick unveiled the new generation of its Encore SUV (derived from the Tracker), which was previously a derivative of the Opel Mokka. After the acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall by the PSA group in 2017, the future Opel Mokka planned for 2020 will no longer have anything to do with this Buick SUV. Buick also unveiled the new generation of the GL8 MPV, which is one of the few higher segment MPVs still enjoying some success in the Chinese market.
Contact us: info@inovev.com
The Renault City K-ZE will be marketed under several brands
- 詳細
The Renault City K-ZE will be marketed under several brands
- At the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show, Renault unveiled the final version of its 100% electric city car (A segment sedan), which is derived from the Kwid sold in India and Brazil. This model, named City K-ZE, is the first new special electric model of the Renault brand since the launch of the Zoé in 2011. Compared to the Zoé (which will be renewed next autumn), the City K-ZE is in a lower category, that of the Renault Twingo.
- But unlike the Twingo and Zoé, the City K-ZE will be marketed mainly in China. First, because China, which absorbs 60% of the world's electric car sales, requires car manufacturers present in the country to sell more and more electric cars (2 million in 2020, 7 million in 2025, 16 million in 2030). Secondly, because the City K-ZE would be a dangerous competitor for the Zoe if it were offered in Europe. Finally, because Renault wants to quadruple its sales in China thanks to the City K-ZE (from 50,000 units in 2018 to 200,000 in 2022, excluding the Jinbei and Huasong brands).
- The K-ZE will be manufactured in the Shiyan factory (Hubei province), in partnership with Dongfeng. This plant, with a production capacity of 120,000 units per year, will also produce the K-ZE under the Nissan, Venucia and Dongfeng brands.
- The K-ZE is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi group's CMF-A platform and has a range of 200km (WLTP cycle). The K-ZE has the same dimensions as the internal combustion engine Kwidsold in India (2.42m wheelbase) and should be sold at a very competitive price.
Contact us: info@inovev.com
続きを読む... The Renault City K-ZE will be marketed under several brands
Analysis of Mercedes A-Class production in Europe
- 詳細
Analysis of Mercedes A-Class production in Europe
- Since the launch of the new generation Mercedes A-Class (C-segment sedan) in spring 2018, this model has been manufactured at three different sites in Europe: the German site in Rastatt, where it has been manufactured since the launch of the first A-Class in 1997, the Finnish site in Uusikaupunki, which has assembled part of the A-Class since the launch of the 2012 generation, and the Hungarian site in Kecskemét, which has assembled part of the A-Class since the launch of the new 2018 generation.
- In 2018, the Rastatt site produced 186,303 Class A (including 82,618 of the older generation). The Uusikaupunki site produced 23,921 units and the Kecskemét site 64,518 units.
- In total, therefore, 274,742 Class A were produced in Europe in 2018, which is its highest score since the model was introduced. This model competes with Premium C-segment sedans, such as the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. In 2018, the A-Class overtook its two competitors, with the Audi A3 not exceeding 225,000 units and the BMW 1 Series 210,000 units.
- The Rastatt site has a production capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year, a volume equivalent to that of Kecskemét and twice that of Uusikaupunki, which belongs to the subcontractor Valmet.
- The Hungarian site in Kecskemét also produces C segment minivans called Class B, which share their platform with Class A, as well as CLA coupés, which also share their platform with Class A. Class B was produced at 85,389 units at this site in 2018, and the CLA at 64,910 units.
Contact us: info@inovev.com
Skoda Czech Republic Production Overview
- 詳細
Skoda Czech Republic Production Overview
- Skoda (a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group) has been operating in the Czech Republic since the beginning of the 20th century, when it was still called Laurin&Klement.
- Skoda now has two factories in its home country, the largest being located in Mlada Boleslav (the brand's historic factory) and the other in Kvasiny.
- In 2018, Skoda broke its world production record, with a volume of 1.25 million vehicles produced, including 875,000 units assembled in its two plants located in the Czech Republic, accounting for 70% of its global production.
- Of the 875,000 vehicles manufactured in the Czech Republic in 2018, 664,236 are Skoda vehicles (Fabia, Rapid, Octavia, Superb, Karoq, Kodiaq) and 101,260 are Seat vehicles (Ateca, Toledo).
- Finally, a volume of 108,922 Skoda brand vehicles are sent CKD to the Russian sites in Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod, which assemble Volkswagen and Skoda brand models for local demand. The Mlada Boleslav site sent 77,389 CKD Skoda models to these Russian factories and the Kvasiny site sent 31,533. In total, in 2018, the MladaBoleslav plant assembled 428,693 Skoda and 8,128 Seat models, and shipped 77,389 CKD, while the Kvasiny plant assembled 235,543 Skoda and 93,132 Seat models, and shipped 31,533 CKD.
Contact us: info@inovev.com
The PSA Ellesmere Port site could reduce its capacity by half
- 詳細
The PSA Ellesmere Port site could reduce its capacity by half
- The Opel Astra is currently produced at two production sites: Ellesmere Port (UK) and Gliwice (Poland).
- The PSA group could consider reducing production capacity at its Ellesmere Port site in the United Kingdom, pending the implementation of Brexit. The Ellesmere Port plant is one of two British plants of the French manufacturer acquired with the Opel and Vauxhall brands in 2017, along with the Luton plant dedicated to commercial vehicles.
- The Ellesmere Port plant manufactures the Opel/Vauxhall Astra sold locally and some of those exported to other countries outside the region. It therefore produces both left-hand drive and right-hand drive models. PSA's plan would be to limit the production of this plant to the right-hand drive Astra, which would mean a volume of between 30,000 and 60,000 units depending on the year.
- In 2018, 32,000 right-hand drive Astras were sold worldwide, compared to 50,000 in 2017 and 60,000 in 2016.
- This change is expected to occur with the arrival of the new generation of the Astra in 2021. It would mean that the Ellesmere Port plant would lose half its capacity at that time.
- The left-hand-drive Astra models previously produced at the Ellesmere Port site will not be transferred to the PSA site in Gliwice (Poland), which has a very low labour cost, but to the Rüsselsheim site (Germany), which will lose production of the Opel Zafira at the end of 2019. This transfer will not require any increase in capacity at the Rüsselsheim site, since the number of Astra units transferred will correspond approximately to the number of Zafira units assembled there. The Opel Astra will therefore be produced at three sites in Europe.
Contact us: info@inovev.com
続きを読む... The PSA Ellesmere Port site could reduce its capacity by half