With news of Europe’s biggest economy, Germany, entering recession after shrinking for the second successive quarter, it is no surprise that a new study reports concern about the future development of Germany’s car market.

Earlier this year authors of the report predicted that sales were going to remain lower by almost 5% in 2008. They say overall production is expected to be higher at 6.3 million units, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles, with a major boost coming from commercial vehicle output which is expected to increase by almost 6.5% by the end of 2008.

Continue reading “Profound Effects on Car Industry when Europe’s Largest Economy Enters Recession” »

Iran Khodro, Iran’s state-backed manufacturer has announced production of a range of cars specifically targeted at women drivers. The cars will go on sale in June to coincide with Iranian Women’s Day and will be part of be part of the Samand range.

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The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported that the country’s auto industry sales slipped down by 5.19% to 3.61 million passenger cars in the first six months of 2008 from the same period a year ago, as reported by AFP. The association further revealed that the industry sales in June 2008 surged by an annual growth of 13% to 517,469 units, but this was the third month in a row when rising sales graph took reverse turn. Moreover, both sedan and multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) sales grew by 16.72% to 2.67 million and 4.09% to 111,400 units respectively. However, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) showed the impressive performance with 42% increase to 224,300 units during the first half of 2008.

Continue reading “China: Extreme Weather and Rising Fuel Prices Hit Automobile Industry” »

The Australian motor manufacturing industry has recently faced a series of tough challenges including General Motors’ subsidiary Holden’s announcement that it would cut 600 jobs from its Adelaide-based plant, as well as the Japanese automotive company Mitsubishi’s decision to close its local production facility altogether. While Japan’s Bridgestone confirmed its commitment to maintaining its Australian operations, it did declare that it will be raising product prices in order to adapt to the rising costs of raw materials.
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Perhaps unsurprisingly satellite data has revealed that Beijing experiences some of the dirtiest air among of all the planet’s cities, resulting in the Chinese capital being awarded an unwelcome new accolade- the air pollution capital of the world. As the Olympics host country is cutting back on industrial production and transportation in an effort to keep its air at healthy enough levels for the games, a new report presents electric motorcycles as the new ‘it’ vehicle for China’s motorists.

Continue reading “Will the Electric Bike be China’s Green Saviour?” »

The Big Three of four wheels used to relate to the U.S., Germany and Japan. However, not for much longer.

A new report shows that in the past few years, precisely after its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China has seen a phenomenal growth in its automotive industry. As the country’s economy is growing steadily, a vast consumer base with increasing disposable income has led to a changing lifestyle and rapid development in road infrastructure. This has subsequently led to China becoming a renowned name in the global automobile industry.

Continue reading “China Overtakes ‘Big Three’ in Global Automotive Industry” »

Head of Sales, Toyota Astra Motor, Jodjana Jody, revealed that in spite of about 30% rise in prices of fuels in Indonesia, sales of vehicles reached about 49,500 units in May 2008, an increase of 29% over May 2007, as reported by Reuters. According to industry experts, sales of vehicles increased by about 60% from January to April 2008 and it is expected to surpass 500,000 units in 2008 from 434,449 units sold in 2007. Also, new car sales in the country reached nearly 51,639 units in April this year, an increase of about 47% over April 2007, whereas the total sales of cars increased by 56.6% and reached around 187,242 units during January to April 2008.

Continue reading “Indonesia – Will Rapid Inflation Spoilsport the Booming Vehicle Industry?” »

The recent tie-up of Bosch and Samsung follows the recent trend of various auto and auto-components manufactures joining hands with consumer electronics companies to manufacture Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The Li-ion batteries are used to help power the ever-increasingly popular hybrid cars, such as the GM Chevy Volt, which is already on the market, and Toyota is also planning to launch a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) version of its Prius brand by June 2009. Demand for the Li-ion batteries is so high that it is currently outstripping supply. Earlier this year, the industry also witnessed similar tie ups between Toyota and Matsushita, Volkswagen and Sanyo, and GM and LG amongst others.

Continue reading “Are ‘Green’ Li-ion Batteries just Another Way to Combat Growing Ecological Concerns?” »

It is hard to believe that less than a century ago, windshields were offered as optional equipment. In 1909, Henry Ford offered his Model T with a windshield. Today, glazing continues to play an important part in vehicle design, providing a combination of aesthetic, functional and structural properties. As a result, automakers are increasingly looking for their glazing suppliers to play a key role in the vehicle development process as a new report discusses.

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Recent reports shows that the pressure is growing on the government to impose new US-style restrictions on young drivers after a series of fatal crashes involving teenagers. This would mean that they would be banned from driving during night time. Is this another sign of the ‘Nanny State’, or is it the only way of stopping you people from dangerous driving?

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