Is Diesel Death Imminent, Or Is Threat Short Term Jitters? “Premium (manufacturers) have the highest diesel share today, but are also likely to enjoy the most rapid increase in mild-hybrid gasoline and BEV sales” Diesel powered cars are on death row, condemned by worries about health, sales undermined by dieselgate publicity, and about to be […]
Archive | Industry Analysis 2016
SUVs Get Smaller As Suzuki Starts Mini Sector With The Ignis
SUVs Get Smaller As Suzuki Starts Mini Sector With The Ignis. “described variously as baby urban chic, radical, bold or simply cute” Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) used to be the preserve of the rich and famous, but these high-riding, off-road capable and arrogant big beasts bred ever smaller and cheaper versions which have been leaping […]
Auto “Mobility Solutions”, Paranoia Or Rationality?
Auto “Mobility Solutions”, Paranoia Or Rationality? “The automotive sector may need to consider moving from using a pure product ownership model toward providing a range of transportation services” The automotive industry is understandably wary of being blindsided by some overnight technology sensation, but that doesn’t mean it has to take on board every crackpot theory. […]
Electric Car Sales Forecasts Crank Higher; Europe Unconvinced
Electric Car Sales Forecasts Crank Higher; Europe Unconvinced “today’s electric car sales remain a great deal weaker than the industry had hoped” I’m drowning in forecasts telling me electric cars, currently too expensive and plagued by range anxiety, will rule the world soon. The price of batteries will be slashed and range extended to the […]
FCA Wins Time In The Sun As Investors Turn Favourable
FCA Wins Time In The Sun As Investors Turn Favourable. Debt Mountain Looks Manageable If Spin-offs Happen. Maserati, Magneti Mareli, Alfa Romeo, Jeep Raise Hopes. A combination of hopes that Maserati and Alfa Romeo might lead a renaissance, or at least be sold off to pay huge debts, has transformed the prospects of Fiat Chrysler […]
New BMW 5 Series Will Maintain Profit, But Don’t Expect More
New BMW 5 Series Will Maintain Profit, But Don’t Expect More. “What’s in store for 2017? Flat margins from what we can see” BMW’s new 5 series goes on sale in February and while investors reckon it will help maintain profits they worry that the styling doesn’t turn heads, while the competition has raised its […]
Global Auto Growth Set To Accelerate In 2017
Global Auto Growth Set To Accelerate In 2017. But Protectionism Clouds Prospects In NAFTA, Europe. The global automotive market is set to grow at twice the 2016 rate next year led by emerging markets like Russia and Brazil, but a number of challenges include the possibility of an increasingly protectionist environment. That’s the view of […]
Self-driving Cars Excite, But Not Yet Ready For Prime Time
Self-driving Cars Excite, But Not Yet Ready For Prime Time. “Would anyone pay $200,000 to sit in a supercar driven by computer?” There has been much fevered talk about the imminence of self driving cars, leaving the impression with the public that it won’t be very long before the automobiles we buy don’t even have […]
Electric, Hybrid Car Sales To Soar, With American Reluctance
Electric, Hybrid Car Sales To Soar, With American Reluctance. “EV questions remain, but we believe it is the sharply rising cost of regulatory compliance that is pushing (manufacturers) to change their strategy towards EVs, as much as improvements in battery technology” Americans won’t buy as many electric cars and hybrids as sales soar around the […]
Electric Cars Boost From Rules Curbing Conventional Ones
Electric Cars Boost From Rules Curbing Conventional Ones. “Battery costs remain very high. Battery range remains too small, and batteries are still too heavy” Car manufacturers are suddenly accelerating plans to build electric cars as the realization dawns that tightening rules on traditional engines will make them uncompetitive quicker than expected. During the transition though, […]