The average engine displacement in Europe has lost 230 cm3 since 2005
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The average engine displacement in Europe has lost 230 cm3 since 2005
Inovev has finalised a comprehensive study on the features of vehicles produced and sold in Europe (masses, dimensions and cylinder capacities).
For more information, please click here. Elements of this study are presented here in this Auto Analysis.
- As analysed in the “Masses-Dimensions-CC” study, the average weight of vehicles remained stable from 2011 to 2019, despite a sharp increase in SUVs and the almost systematic increase in the weight of a model during its renewal. This stabilization can be explained by several factors:
§ A change of mix: owners of D segment sedan renewing their vehicles certainly with SUVs, but from a lower segment, the C segment.
§ But also the significant efforts of carmakers to reduce the weight of their vehicles.
- Carmakers have been able to lower the cylinder capacity of vehicles (and therefore their weight) for equivalent power output (“downsizing”). See graph below relating to non-electrified passenger cars (excluding PHEV and FHEV), produced in Europe (EEZ, European Economic Zone including EU + UK + Morocco + Turkey).
- This optimization is not only due to the addition of a turbo on most engines (even the smallest) but also to other factors, notably gasoline direct injection and hybridization (addition of a electric motor).
- When we look at the petrol or diesel displacements, we see that it is the petrol engines which have benefited the most from downsizing, their average displacement which was 1,750 cm3 in 2005 in Europe has fallen to 1,500 cm3 in 2022, while the diesel engines fell from 1,890 cm3 in 2005 to 1,860 cm3 in 2022. If since 2014 the overall average has fallen sharply, it is also because the share of diesel engines in full thermal and hybrid engines has decreased considerably between 2005 and 2022. It decreased from 50% in 2005 to 30% in 2022, while the share of gasoline engines increased from 50% in 2005 to 58% in 2022. As for the share of hybrid engines (FHEV+PHEV), it went from 0% in 2005 to 12% in 2022.
The average weight of passenger cars in Europe has increased significantly since 2020
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The average weight of passenger cars in Europe has increased significantly since 2020
Inovev has finalised a comprehensive study on the features of vehicles produced and sold in Europe (masses, dimensions and cylinder capacities).
For more information, please click here. Elements of this study are presented here in this Auto Analysis.
The average weight of passenger cars produced in Europe experienced three very distinct periods between 2000 and 2023 (2/2)
- Period 3 (since 2020).
§ The average weight of vehicles produced in Europe increased from 1411 kg in 2020 to 1462 kg in 2022, an increase of more than 50 kg (+3.5%) in just 2 years.
§ However, during the same period, the mass of non-electrified vehicles increased much less. It went from 1380 kg to 1397 kg, an increase of 17 kg (+1.2%). There is therefore indeed an effect due to electrification.
§ But it's not the only one. The volumes of vehicles produced in Europe have fallen drastically. This drop did not occur uniformly across all vehicle mass segments.
• The 800 to 899 kg vehicle segment has disappeared. As the segment of vehicles weighing 700 to 799 kg had already disappeared in previous years, in 2023 there will no longer be an offer of vehicles weighing less than 900 kg. The lightest vehicle produced in Europe is the Renault Twingo.
• Average mass vehicles (from 900kg to 1600kg) have decreased significantly.
• Heavy vehicles produced in Europe of more than 1600 kg to 1900 kg remained more or less stable, although with a drop for the 1800-1899 kg segment, not due to lower demand but due to competition of the import of Tesla 3 models.
• Vehicles weighing more than 1900 kg were produced and sold in greater quantities.
Honda stops the production of the Honda E
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Honda stops the production of the Honda E
- Japanese carmakers waited a long time before deciding to launch battery electric vehicles (BEVs), in particular because in Japan, sales of BEVs remained very low, while the market leader in this country – the group Toyota – which occupies half of the market there – has focused more on selling hybrid vehicles (FHEV) instead of selling BEVs. But Japan, like any other country in the world, must take into consideration the fact that it must reduce its share of CO2 in the global balance and that oil resources will not be eternal.
- Toyota therefore decided late to launch into battery electric and announced a few months ago a program to launch new vehicles equipped with this type of engine. The first model from this new family, the BZ4X SUV, was launched recently, with a slow development.
- Honda had previously launched the E city car (it was in 2020) but without success not only in Japan but also in Europe. In Europe, the Honda E went from 3,748 sales in 2020 to 3,315 in 2021, 2,001 in 2022 and 576 in 2023. In total, less than 10,000 units have found a buyer in four years. In Japan, it's even worse: 427 sales in 2020, 721 in 2021, 371 in 2022 and 260 in 2023. In Europe, its price of 41,000 euros was undoubtedly a break when its main competitor the Mini E is priced at 37 400 euros.
- As a result, Honda is stopping the production of the E city car at the end of the year. Its hopes now are on its E:NY1 SUV, but its sales may being handicapped by a price higher than 47,500 euros.
The average weight of passenger cars in Europe remained stable from 2011 to 2019
- 詳細
The average weight of passenger cars in Europe remained stable from 2011 to 2019
Inovev has finalised a comprehensive study on the features of vehicles produced and sold in Europe (masses, dimensions and cylinder capacities). For more information, please click here. Elements of this study are presented here in this Auto Analysis.
The average weight of passenger cars produced in Europe experienced three very distinct periods between 2000 and 2023 (1/2)
- Period 1 (2000-2011)
Weight increased significantly and continuously from 2000 to 2011, going from 1180 to 1380 kg (+200 kg, +17%), although with a sharp drop in 2019, linked to the Financial and Economic crisis of 2008. In 2009, consumers tended to purchase smaller vehicles, a trend that was reinforced by government incentives.
Weight increased significantly and continuously from 2000 to 2011, going from 1180 to 1380 kg (+200 kg, +17%), although with a sharp drop in 2019, linked to the Financial and Economic crisis of 2008. In 2009, consumers tended to purchase smaller vehicles, a trend that was reinforced by government incentives.
- Period 2 (2012-2019)
Between 2012 and 2019, the average weight of cars stabilized around 1,380 kilos. This stabilization is contradictory. Indeed, it was during this period that SUVs developed significantly, reaching 37% of vehicles produced in Europe in 2019. However, the average weight of an SUV is greater than the average weight of a sedan of the same segment. On the other hand, during this same period, for each model renewal, the new model is in most cases heavier than the replaced model. The explanation for this stabilization of the average mass, despite the development of heavier vehicles, is the result of:
Between 2012 and 2019, the average weight of cars stabilized around 1,380 kilos. This stabilization is contradictory. Indeed, it was during this period that SUVs developed significantly, reaching 37% of vehicles produced in Europe in 2019. However, the average weight of an SUV is greater than the average weight of a sedan of the same segment. On the other hand, during this same period, for each model renewal, the new model is in most cases heavier than the replaced model. The explanation for this stabilization of the average mass, despite the development of heavier vehicles, is the result of:
§ A change of mix. This status could be confirmed by calculating the contribution of each “segment-body” (example “C-SUV”) to the average vehicle mass. This calculation is presented through the graph on the right below.
§ The significant effort made by carmakers to reduce the weight of vehicles (see for example the Inovev analysis concerning the engine capacity).
- Period 3 (since 2020): see the following analysis “The average weight of passenger cars in Europe has increased significantly since 2020”.
Citroën markets again the Berlingo with a thermal engine
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Citroën markets again the Berlingo with a thermal engine
- In 2022, Citroën decided to suddenly stop sales of the gasoline and diesel versions of its Berlingo MPV (the Berlingo MPV is the “passenger transport” variant of the Berlingo light utility vehicle) to redirect its customers towards the battery electric version, but this customer base very little appreciated this decision.
- From the beginning of 2023, sales in Europe of the model available only in the battery electric version gradually collapsed, in particular due to a price which no longer had anything to do with the petrol and diesel versions previously offered. These sales decreased from 2,000 units in March 2023 to 1,400 in May 2023, then 900 in June 2023, 700 in September 2023 and 300 in November 2023.
- This phenomenon is known as the "Smart effect" because when Smart decided to sell only its battery electric models (Smart Fortwo and Forfour) after removing its gasoline and diesel models, the brand's sales collapsed by 80%. These models were definitively discontinued and the Smart range reorganised around significantly larger vehicles (Smart #1 and Smart #3). Citroën's strategy regarding its "passenger transport" Berlingos had the same effect: a collapse in sales of these models.
- Today, the carmaker observes the disaster and has decided to put back on the market its Berlingo MPVs with a thermal engine, as is already the case for the Berlingo“LUV” version. It is obvious that the combustion engine versions represented the vast majority of sales of Berlingo MPVs until 2022. The Peugeot Rifter and Opel Combo twins should logically follow the same path.