The Volkswagen brand has remained strong in Europe and Germany these last 25 years
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The Volkswagen brand has remained strong in Europe and Germany these last 25 years
- The Volkswagen brand has not lost any ground over the past 25 years, either in its country of origin, Germany, or in the rest of Europe (29 countries), unlike Opel and Fiat in their home country. Volkswagen sales in Germany have always oscillated between 600,000 and 700,000 cars per year between 1995 and 2019, and the carmaker's market share has always remained at 18%-22% during this period. In 1997, Volkswagen sold 630,000 cars in its home country, representing 18% of the German market which then reached 3.5 million passenger cars. In 2022, Volkswagen sold 480,000 cars in Germany, but as the German market declined as a whole (2.7 million units), the carmaker's market share remained stable compared to 1997, at 18%. This performance has nothing to do with what happened at Opel, whose market share in Germany fell from 16% to 5% between 1997 and 2022, or Fiat, whose market share in Italy fell from 34% to 13% between 1997 and 2022.
- The Volkswagen brand has remained strong in Europe and Germany thanks to several factors: Volkswagen benefits from a wide range (Up, Polo, Golf, Passat, Arteon) and several SUVs (T-Cross, Taigo, T-Roc, Tiguan, Touareg) which are added to the range of sedans.
- The image of the brand has overshadowed mainstream brands well established in Germany such as Ford and Opel.
- Interestingly, the “dieselgate” in 2015 did not had a serious impact on Volkswagen’s sales volume. We just observed a drop in the brand's market share in Germany from 21.5% in 2015 to 19.5% in 2016 and 18.5% in 2017, then this market share steadied at 18%.
Cadillac unveils its 200 kWh and nearly 4 tons battery electric Escalade SUV
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Cadillac unveils its 200 kWh and nearly 4 tons battery electric Escalade SUV
Six new countries to join BRICS organisation on 1st January 2024
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Six new countries to join BRICS organisation on 1st January 2024
- Since the early 2000s, the acronym BRICS has referred to five emerging or developing countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In terms of car production, these five countries have been led by China, which in just a few years has become the world's largest car producer. The other four countries have seen their car production grow less strongly than China. In 2005, these five countries produced 11 million vehicles, 50% of which (5.5 million) were produced in China, while in 2022, 36 million vehicles have been produced, including 75% (27 million) in China.
- Chinese car production has been multiplied by 5 between 2005 and 2022, while the other four countries by only 1.6. The BRICS will account for 43% of global automotive production in 2022.
- From 1st January 2024, six new countries will join the BRICS: Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia. This new group represents 46% of the world's population (around 2.8 billion inhabitants in India and China alone) and will have an economic weight (35% of world GNP) that will be close to the G7 (Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom), which represents almost 45% of world GNP. In terms of car production, the expansion will be more modest, as the six new BRICS members, only Argentina and Iran produce cars (1.75 million units in 2022).
- By 2024, the 11 BRICS countries could therefore account for 45% of global car production, compared to 35% for the G7 countries.
Chinese carmakers have still 58 brands in China in 2023
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Chinese carmakers have still 58 brands in China in 2023
Inovev forecasts 150,000 units a year for the new Ford Transit Custom
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Inovev forecasts 150,000 units a year for the new Ford Transit Custom
- The Ford Transit Custom van (N1-3 segment), which dates back to 2012, has be replaced this summer 2023. Following agreements between Ford and Volkswagen, the new generation Transit Custom will share its platform and body with the Volkswagen Transporter van (2024 model year). Ford is ending its own platform and using Volkswagen's one (known as MQB), which enables combustion, hybrid and electric engines to be offered on the same model. This strategy clearly shows that American carmakers are behind in the development of 100% electric powertrains, or that there is little interest in this type of powertrain for this market.
- The advantage of using Volkswagen's MQB platform is that Ford is able to offer at a lower cost an electric version of the Transit Custom, which until now was not available.
- The new-generation of Ford Transit Custom will nevertheless continue to be powered by a 2.0 diesel engine and a 2.5 plug-in hybrid petrol engine, in addition to the electric motor supplied by Volkswagen. The batteries, meanwhile, come from SK (formerly SK Innovation), using the same cells as those in the Ford F-150 Lightning, with a total capacity of 74 kWh.
- The new Ford Transit Custom will be produced in Turkey (Kocaeli) as before, with the large Transit continuing its career. Inovev is forecasting stable production of around 150,000 units a year, with the proportion of electric vehicles set to rise steadily between now and 2035.