In 2024, Norway made significant strides toward its goal of promoting electric vehicles, with nearly nine out of 10 new cars sold being fully electric. This marked an increase from 82.4% in 2023 to 88.9% in 2024, according to the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV). Leading the sales were brands such as Tesla, Volkswagen and Toyota, with Chinese EVs making up almost 10% of new car sales. This shift toward electric cars is attributed to Norway's policy of imposing high taxes on petrol and diesel c...

Mercedes-Benz has significantly expanded its Mercedes me Charge network that integrates multiple charging points to offer seamless charging experience to Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle owners. As of October 2024, the network provides customers access to over 2 million charging points globally, establishing it as one of the largest charging networks in the world. The Mercedes me Charge network, which now incorporates over 1,600 charge-point operators, has expanded its service to include Austra...

In a press release dated Oct. 4, Rivian Automotive announced that it is lowering its full-year production target due to a shortage of a key component shared by its R1 and RCV platforms. Rivian said this issue, first emerging in the third quarter of the year, has escalated in severity in recent weeks and remains ongoing. As a result of this supply chain disruption, Rivian has adjusted its annual production forecast to a range from 47,000 to 49,000 vehicles, down from its previous for...

Stradvision has reported a 73% year-over-year increase in the production of its SVNet vision perception technology to 834,000 units in the first half of 2024, the company said in a press release on Sept. 11. This surge in production highlights the growing demand for Stradvision's pioneering vision perception technology, which is implemented in over 2.65 million vehicles worldwide. “We are thrilled to announce that our production units have exceeded 834,000 in the first half of thi...

French auto-component maker Plastic Omnium aims to double its turnover from the Indian market to €400 million over the next five years, Autocar reported March 5. The company is looking to establish India as a technical hub for research and development, and explore new offerings in the alternative fuel market. Currently, Plastic Omnium has four manufacturing plants in India in Pune, Chennai, Sanand and Gurgaon, and is setting up another in Pune for exterior systems. The company is ...

BASF has slashed its full year 2023 forecast for sales, it said in a press release dated July 12. Sales are expected between €73 billion and €76 billion in 2023, compared to the previous outlook of €84 billion to €87 billion in 2023. Earnings before interest and tax before special items is now expected to come in between €4 billion and €4.4 billion, as opposed to an earlier forecast of €4.8 billion to €5.4 billion. Significance: The company said that due to tepid sentiment in ...

The board of directors at Nokian Tyres has approved the company’s long-term financial targets for the next five years, according to a company filing on April 25. Nokian Tyres expects long-term net sales growth of €2 billion with segments operating profit at the level of 15%. The board has also confirmed the previously announced nonfinancial targets. “During the next five years we will concentrate on building the new Nokian Tyres and getting back to €2 billion growth track with strong ...

AGC is set to increase the production capacity for fluorine products to meet demand for semiconductor-related products, it said in a press release dated March 23. The production capacity will be increased at the company’s Chiba plant in Japan. The plant will require an investment of around ¥35 billion (about US$265 million) with operations expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025. AGC said it would actively invest in fluorine products, aiming for sales of more than ¥200 billion i...

HELLA expects to generate currency- and portfolio-adjusted sales in the range of around €8.0 billion to €8.5 billion for the full year period from January to December 2023, it said in a press release on March 21. The supplier also expects operating income margin to be in the range of about 5.5%-7%. Its net cash flow in relation to sales is anticipated at 2%. HELLA expects a lower operating income margin and net cash flow in relation to sales in the first half of fiscal year 20...

Mainland China has witnessed a rapid growth in the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging network in 2022, China Daily reported last week. According to the National Energy Administration (NEA), EV charging infrastructure recorded nearly 100% year-over-year (y/y) growth in 2022 bringing the total number to 5.2 million units. About 650,000 new public EV charging stations were installed in mainland China in 2022, bringing the cumulative total to 1.8 million. During the year, there were 1.9 ...

Brose expects sales to exceed EUR7.40 billion (USD7.85 billion) in 2022, which is around EUR2 billion more than the previous year, it said in a press release on 22 December. The company attributes high inflation and exchange rate effects along with the consolidation of Brose Sitech joint venture launched in January and a larger production volume for the sales growth. Brose said that if the global vehicle production remains stable, sales could grow to around EUR10 billion by 2025. “However, ...

Toyota Motor Corp has planned an additional domestic factory line production suspension in June and July owing to semiconductor shortages and a COVID-19 outbreak at one of its suppliers, according to a report published by Reuters on 16 July 2022. Toyota Motor Corp has changed its June production plans for the third time. The new plans are about 12% lower than the original forecast plan. It has recently announced that it would build 750,000 automobiles globally this month. It did not...

Toyota Motor Corp has cut its global production for June to about 850,000 units, down “tens of thousands of units globally” from an earlier mentioned figure, the automaker said in a press release on 24 May. Toyota has primarily attributed the production cut to shortage of semiconductors but has also mentioned the adverse impact of COVID-19. 250,000 units will be produced in Japan and 600,000 units overseas. The average global production plan for the full period of fiscal year 2023 is 9.7 ...

Toyota has announced that it has yet again readjusted production due to the ongoing semiconductor supply crisis, a company press release on 18 April read. Toyota has said that so far, the global production plan for May is about 750,000 units which comprises of 200,000 units in Japan and 550,000 units overseas. In May, Toyota will suspend 10 lines in nine plants. The semiconductor shortage has prompted the Japanese automaker to adjust its production plan by about 100,000 units globally from th...

Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Corporation is working with US’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to jointly develop an all-solid-state battery that can not only charge faster but also be safer than the currently used lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in electric cars, a report filed by CBS News on 8 April 2022 said, citing the automaker. According to the report, the said solid-state battery technology will replace the lithium-ion battery in 2028 via a product launch. The com...

Volvo cars anticipate reduced production volumes in 2022 owing to the specific semiconductor shortage required for vehicle production, according to an official press release on 22 March 2022. The company expected a significant increase in sales volume in 2022 but as a result of supply disruption, the company now expects a marginal increase in sales volumes in 2022. The company said in a statement, “The expected disturbances in Volvo Cars’ production are not related to the war in Ukraine a...

General Motors (GM) is aiming at boosting its revenues through new software-enabled services, the automaker said during a discussion with investors earlier this month, GM leaders described how the company's Ultium and Ultifi platforms underpin the company's growth strategy in this decade. GM projects annual software and services revenue opportunities in the range of USD20 billion to USD25 billion from a projected 30 million connected vehicles by the end of the decade. “OnStar is a...

Magna expects total sales for 2021 to be in the range of USD35.4–36.4 billion, compared with USD38.0–39.5 billion, owing to the expected decline in 2021 light vehicle production, it said in a press release on 20 October. “Adjusted EBIT margin is now expected to be in the 5.1% to 5.4% range, compared to 7.0% to 7.4% in our August outlook.” Significance: Magna said the primary reason for lowering the sales expectation of the year is the decline in vehicle production at OEMs in...

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) completed the study of light-duty hydrogen fueling station economics, in accordance with the text of Assembly Bill 8 (Perea, Chapter 401, Statutes of 2013), it said in report. Assembly Bill 8 asks CARB and the California Energy Commission to analyze hydrogen fueling station development and operation against a standard of financial self-sufficient network. Significance: According to CARB, the multiyear research, which cumulates previous years of findin...

VIA optronics has announced that its production facility in Germany is successfully ramping up mass production of high-end 3D shaped cold-form car dashboard assemblies, according to a company press release on 22 September. The enhancement results in a capacity increase of about 10,000 units per month. “With this step we have expanded our production capability for automotive dashboard display assemblies up to the width of the whole vehicle cockpit, thus enhancing our ability to produce units...

Adaptive lidar solutions provider, AEye Inc., has announced that Sanmina Corporation will begin production of AEye’s 4Sight M lidar sensor for industrial and mobility markets in September. The transfer from AEye’s pilot line in Dublin, California to Sanmina’s commercial production lines will take place over the next few months, as the company prepares for volume production. AEye’s strategic investment and go-to-market partners include Continental, GM Ventures, Subaru-SBI, Hella Ventur...

Volkswagen has suspended operations at its Russian assembly plant in Nizhny Novgorod for 17, 18 and 21–22 June due to a shortage of automotive semiconductors, Gazeta.RU reported on 18 June. “In relation to the complicated global situation concerning semiconductors, the company had no choice but to suspend production in Nizhny Novgorod for four days, on 17, 18, and 21–22 June. We are keeping a close eye on the circumstances, in order to adapt our production process rapidly,” ...

American EV manufacturer, Canoo, has named Netherlands-based VDL Nedcar as its contract manufacturing partner. According to a press release issued by Canoo on 17 June, the company stated that VDL Nedcar will manufacture the vehicle for the US and EU markets while Canoo builds its US-based mega micro-factory in Pryor, Oklahoma state, US. Canoo is targeting the fourth quarter of 2022 to start production and customer deliveries of its forthcoming electric vehicle, and it aims to achieve this by ...

Euro Manganese Inc. has announced its plan to restart its pilot plant in Czechia to produce high purity manganese samples in response to demand from prospective customers primarily located in Europe. The pilot plant will process tailings material from the Chvaletice Manganese Project. According to a press release issued by Euro Manganese on 14 June, the company has engaged Changsha Research Institute for Mining and Metallurgy Co. Ltd. (CRIMM), the original operators of the pilot plant, to res...

India would need about 40,000 charging stations to meet the electric vehicle charging (EV) demand from two million EVs that could potential ply on the roads by 2026, news agency IANS reported, citing a Grant Thornton Bharat – FICCI joint study that was released on 12 June. According to Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), India’s EV industry body, as of March 2021, there were about 1,800 charging stations in the country for almost 16,200 electric cars, including the perso...

American specialty chemicals company Huntsman Corporation plans to significantly increase its existing capacity for ULTRAPURE™ ethylene carbonate, a critical material used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, at its Texas plant by mid-2023, it said in a press release on June 8. According to the company, ULTRAPURE™ ethylene carbonate is used a critical material required for long working life of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used for EVs and electronics. Huntsman has witnessed a stro...

Continuing to expand its fast charging network for electric vehicles (EVs), CHAdeMO, an ecosystem of manufacturers that offer DC charging standard for EVs, has surpassed 40,000 charging points across 92 countries. According to a press release by the CHAdeMO Association on 28 May, while Europe remains the region with the largest network of 19,358 CHAdeMO charging points, the United Kingdom and Germany lead all other countries in the region with more than 3,000 EV charging points installed resp...

The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) forecasts that the auto component industry’s fiscal year (FY) 2020–21 revenue would decline 10–12% year on year (y/y) on account of COVID-19 led disruptions. The lobby body, however, is expected to release annual results on the industry’s performance during the last fiscal quarter later this year. “We have not yet prepared the actual numbers, but we expect that the auto parts industry has performed better than t...

The supply of automotive semiconductors could remain tight until 2022, Volkmar Denner CEO of Bosch told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as reported by Reuters on 18 May. “There are difficult months ahead of us, and the situation could remain tense until 2022,” Volkmar Denner was quoted saying. Significance: Bosch becomes the latest company with the tepid outlook. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) warned that a global shortage of semiconductors across industr...

German luxury car maker, Mercedes-Benz, began production of its EQS electric sedan at its Factory 56 in the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant. According to a press release issued by Mercedes-Benz on 12 May, the company stated that the S-Class saloon and the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class are already rolling off the production line at Factory 56. The assembly of different models and drive types on one line is possible owing to the level of flexibility incorporated into this facility–and theref...

A global semiconductor supply shortage, which has especially hit the auto industry, has forced OEMs to exclude certain high-end features in their vehicles, Bloomberg reported on 6 May. Notable examples reportedly include Nissan leaving navigation systems out of many vehicles that typically feature them, Stellantis’s Ram is not including the standard intelligent rearview mirror that monitors for blind spots in its 1500 pickups, while Renault has stopped integrating the digital screen behind the...

Stellantis has announced that its planned vehicle production for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 was down by 190,000 units or 11% due to the shortage of semiconductors in the automotive industry, a company press release on 5 May read. The automaker also said that despite limited visibility of full year impact due to the shortage, the second quarter is expected to be worse than the first quarter, with some improvement forecasted in the second half of this year. Overall, its consolidated shipm...

Ford Motor is set to cut down production at its German plants in Cologne and Saarlouis for the next few weeks due to shortage in supply of semiconductors, Reuters reported on 3 May. The carmaker is set to prioritize vehicles already ordered by customers said it planned to make up for lost production “as best we can”. Of the 15,000-total workforce in Cologne, around a third would be put on shortened working hours from 3 May to 18 June and 30 June to 9 July. Production is slated to restart on ...

The BMW Group is now producing high-voltage batteries and battery components at its locations in Leipzig and Regensburg, in addition to its Dingolfing facility. According to a press release issued by BMW on 30 April, the Leipzig plant will launch series production of battery modules, while the Regensburg plant has begun coating battery cells for high-voltage batteries. High-voltage batteries will also be produced in Regensburg from 2022 onward. The company is investing more than EUR250 millio...

Renesas is set to restore full capacity at its fire-damaged Naka plant in Japan by the end of May, Reuters reported on 19 April. The company restarted operations last weekend. Renesas CEO Hidetoshi Shibata expects half of the Naka plant line's capacity to be restored by the end of April, and another 70 days for full production. Renesas is reportedly installing new fire extinguishing equipment in the factory. Significance: In March, a fire broke out at Renesas’ Naka plant, damaging 23 machin...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) warned that a global shortage of semiconductors across industries from automaking to consumer electronics may extend into 2022, Bloomberg reported on 15 April. However, the chipmaker expects chip shortages in the auto industry to begin easing next quarter. The company expects investments of about USD30 billion on capacity expansions and upgrades this year. Significance: The semiconductor supply shortage has disrupted the auto industry. Most major a...

Intel are in talks with semiconductor manufacturers to produce automotive chips within six to nine months, CEO Pat Gelsinger told Reuters. Gelsinger has told US White House officials that Intel will open its existing factory network to auto chip companies to help alleviate the supply shortage that has disrupted assembly lines at American OEMs including Ford Motor and General Motors. “We’re hoping that some of these things can be alleviated, not requiring a three- or four-year factory buil...

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) has launched the production of hybrid electric transmissions for its low-emission hybrid electric powertrains. According to a press release issued by TMMP on 7 April, the company stated that this new transmission combines with the latest generation 1.5L gasoline engine, produced in Jelcz-Laskowice, Poland, to form the hybrid electric powertrain for new Toyota Yaris. Once these new projects are fully up to speed in 2022, the factories in Wałbrzych...

Pirelli has launched the 2025 Industrial Plan with new plans for production and technology upgrades, according to a company press release on 31 March. According to the plan, the company plans to invest EUR710–730 million (USD833–856 million) in the two-year period of 2021–22 for technological advancement and productivity increase. Meanwhile, in the three-year period of 2023–25 between EUR1.2–1.3 billion for new high value capacity in countries with lower production costs. Significan...

Renesas could take at least 100 days to get back to normal production at its fire-hit Naka factory in Japan, said CEO Hidetoshi Shibata, as reported by Reuters on 30 March at a press conference. “I’m not too pessimistic about the situation. I think we won’t be too far off from the recovery timing. .. which is within one month. And our outlook is that the manufacturing capacity will recover as close as 100%,” Shibata quoted. Earlier in March, operations at Renesas’ Naka factory were ...

The Suez Canal, the most critical and shortest shipping route that connects Asia to Europe and North America, is now open after having been blocked by a container ship, the MV Ever Given, which had turned sideways and become stuck due to high winds and poor visibility. The vessel had been successfully refloated and moved to one side of the canal as of 29 March, and it is now sailing northwards. Traffic movement through the canal could resume rapidly, and the Suez Canal authority is reportedly...

The MV Ever Given, a 400-m long (approximately 1,310 foot) container ship stuck at an angle since 23 March in the Suez Canal, blocking the key shipping passage between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, will increase the strain already being endured by the global automotive industry. Automotive OEMs and suppliers are expected to be hit due to the majority of them following the ‘just-in-time’ (JIT) manufacturing methodology, wherein large amounts of components are brought into the fact...

Germany-based luxury carmaker, Mercedes-Benz, has commenced the production of high-performance batteries for its pure-electric EQS at its Stuttgart-Hedelfingen plant, a part of the Untertürkheim location in Germany. According to a press release issued by the company on 23 March, the Mercedes-Benz EQS will have its world premiere on 15 April. The plant has a production and logistics area of about 16,500 m² (approximately 177,600 square feet) and incorporates a wide range of Industry 4.0...

Japanese carmakers including Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are assessing the impact on vehicle production caused by a fire at Renesas Electronics’ chip making unit, Reuters reported on 22 March. The fire, at a time when the automotive industry is struggling to cope with the shortage in semiconductors, spells more challenges for automakers. Most Japanese automakers’ stocks fell after the news of the fire. “We are gathering information and trying to see if this will affect us or not,” a Hon...

Toyota has decided to suspend production at its nine vehicle manufacturing plants in Japan this week after a powerful earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, struck the coast of the Tohoku region on 13 February. According to a press release by the Japanese automaker on 16 February, manufacturing operations will remain suspended across 14 production lines at nine plants located in five prefectures, including Aichi, Iwate, and Fukuoka. While some plants will suspend manufacturing operation...

Since late 2020, there has been disruption within the supply chain of semiconductors to the automotive sector. Pressure built as the industry recovered from the widespread lockdowns implemented in the first half of 2020. Furthermore, the recovery cycle clashed with increasing demand from the wider consumer electronics sector, which was recovering strongly, and late in the year, building stocks for the holiday season. As a result, vehicle manufacturers are finding increased disruption to the s...

General Motors (GM) could stand to lose around USD2 billion in profits for full year 2021 due to the global semiconductor supply shortage, CEO Mary Barra warned, Reuters reported on 10 February. However, Barra also said that GM “won’t lose any production” of its full-size pickup trucks and SUVs. CEO Barra added that having a stake in a semiconductor company was a longer-term solution the company would evaluate. GM officials have reiterated they will protect production of its highes...

General Motors will shut down three plants this week in North America till at least mid-March due to a semiconductor supply shortage plaguing the global automotive industry, The Detroit News reported on 9 February. GM stopped production at the Fairfax plant in Kansas, US where it manufactures the Cadillac XT4 and the Chevrolet Malibu, the CAMI plant in Ontario, Canada, where the Chevrolet Equinox is built, and the San Luis Potosi plant in Mexico where it builds the Equinox, the Chevrolet Trax...

Jungo, an Israel-based company specializing software for driver monitoring system (DMS), has reported 1,300% year-over-year (y/y) growth in shipments of DMS software, the company said in a press release on 9 February. “Despite COVID-19 setting shockwaves across the automotive industry, Jungo saw unprecedented growth of 1,300% in its DMS software deliveries in production,” said Ophir Herbst, CEO, Jungo. “This reinforces both the importance and adoption of driver monitoring AI technolog...

Sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) in Europe increased 169.7% year on year y/y to 1,045,831 units in 2020, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) announced in a press release on 4 February. During the last quarter of 2020, 475,224 PEVs were sold in the region, which is a growth of 262.8% y/y. This included strong demand for battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV)—with registrations growing by 216.9% and 331.0% respectively.  From October to De...

Carmakers Renault and Stellantis will cut vehicle production at temporarily halt operations at vehicle assembly plants globally, Reuters reported on 5 February. This is due to the shortage of supply of semiconductors. Renault will suspend production at one site in France and two in Morocco and Romania from the week beginning 8 February, going on for several days. Stellantis reportedly suspended production at its Eisenach unit in Germany last Friday and will also suspend operations at its Zara...

Ford Motor will cancel shifts at two plants that build the F-150 pickup trucks from next week because of a global shortage of semiconductors, Reuters reported on 4 February. Ford said that the shortage could result in a loss of 10–20% of planned first-quarter vehicle production. Separately, Stellantis will slow production at its Melfi plant in Italy owing to the shortage and put over 7,000 employees on furlough, another Reuters report said. The plant reportedly produces the J...

General Motors will cut production at four vehicle assembly plants as a result of the semiconductor supply shortage hampering the automotive industry, Reuters reported on 3 February. The American automaker will reduce production entirely from the week beginning 8 February at units in Kansas, US, Ontario, Canada, and San Luis Potosi, Mexico and run its Bupyeong 2 plant in South Korea at half capacity. GM did not mention how much volume it would lose but said the focus has been on keeping pr...

In a press release dated 1 February, Xpeng announced that it delivered around 6,015 electric vehicle (EV) units in January, which is a growth of 470% year on year (y/y). Total January deliveries consisted of a record high 3,710 units of  P7 electric sedan and 2,305 units of G3 sport utility vehicle (SUV). Cumulative P7 deliveries reached 18,772 as of January 31, 2021. “The record-breaking delivery results reflect the strong market appeal of XPeng’s products and services as the Company a...

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) is expediting automotive semiconductors through its wafer fabs and reallocating wafer capacity, Reuters reported on 28 January. TSMC is said to have prioritized dealing with the issue of the automotive chip supply shortage. “The automotive supply chain is long and complex, and we have worked with our automotive customers and identified their critical needs. TSMC is currently expediting these critical automotive products through our wafer f...

Volkswagen Group’s Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand delivered 2,700 electric vans in 2020, reflecting a year-over-year (y/y) increase of 167.4%, the German automaker said in a press release. Of the total, 1,100 were e-Crafter vans, which the German automaker started building at its Września plant in Poland in summer 2020. Significance: Volkswagen Group is pursuing electrification across its entire product range covering cars, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), vans, and light as well as he...

Volkswagen of America announced that the VW Golf ended production for the US market last week. According to a press release issued by the company on 20 January, Volkswagen expects that the model year 2021 Golf models built at the Puebla, Mexico plant will sustain sales of the hatchback through the year end. However, the Volkswagen Golf will continue to be sold in the US market as the new Mk 8 Golf GTI and Golf R variants. Around 2.5 million units of the VW Golf brand have been sold in th...

German premium carmaker, BMW, has announced that it aims to double the sales of its pure-electric models in 2021. According to a report filed by news agency Reuters on 15 January, the company stated that, including plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, it plans to achieve a 50% increase in sales of electrified vehicles compared to 2020. BMW currently offers 13 electrified in its product portfolio, and it sold under 200,000 EVs in 2020, according to the company’s sales data. Significance: Sales of B...

In December 2020, IHS Markit published a comprehensive update on the impact of the semiconductor supply shortage on the automotive market, the link for which can be found here. Toward the end of 2020, it was evident that a shortage in the supply of semiconductors would disrupt the automotive industry. Widespread lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporary suspension of activities in manufacturing units for a significant part of the year. However, after industries reopened, ...

Audi will temporarily reduce shifts at the Puebla plant in Mexico owing to a constraint in semiconductors supply, Reuters reported on 14 January. The plant will operate with one shift from 18 to 29 January and two shifts from 1 to 12 February. “The lack of availability of semiconductors worldwide has caused production restrictions in the automotive industry. Therefore, Audi Mexico will adjust its production,” Reuters added, quoting the German automaker. Significance: The global se...

BMW has reported that sales of its plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) from BMW and MINI brands grew 31.8% to 192,646 units in 2020 globally, according to a company press release on 12 January. Sales of fully electric vehicles rose by 13%, while plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales climbed by almost 40%. In Europe, electrified vehicles already accounted for 15% of total sales. “We responded to the effects of the corona[virus] pandemic with great agility in sales management and production. As a result, we...

Germany luxury and sportscar manufacturer, Porsche, has announced that it has completed more than 20,000 deliveries of its pure electric sportscar, the Taycan. According to a press release issued by Porsche on 12 January, the company stated that 20,015 units of the Porsche Taycan were delivered to customers in 2020 despite a six week pause in manufacturing. The Porsche Cayenne SUV accounted for the highest demand at 92,860 units, representing an increase of 1% compared with the previous year....

Volkswagen brand delivered a total of 212,000 plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) in 2020 globally, which is a growth of 158% year on year (y/y), the company announced in a press release on 12 January. This includes 134,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which is nearly triple the number of BEVs sold in 2019. “2020 was a turning point for Volkswagen and marked a breakthrough in electric mobility. We are well on track to achieve our aim of becoming the market leader in battery electric vehicl...

Mercedes-benz has tripled its sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) to 160,000 units in 2020 globally, the company announced in a press release on 8 January. More than half of the sales, around 87,000 units, came in the fourth quarter. The share of PEVs (plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles) in the total car sales of Mercedes-Benz increased from 2% in 2019 to 7.4% in 2020. “We more than tripled sales of our plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars. Demand for these vehicles increas...

In the past week, Ford Motor, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and Nissan Motor have all announced that they would cut vehicle production in January due to a shortage of semiconductors, according to a Reuters article on 8 January. Ford also announced that it would idle the Louisville Assembly plant this week due to the shortage. Ford builds the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs in the Kentucky plant. Honda said that its output in Japan could be affected by the supply shortage. Signifi...

Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose 7% year on year (y/y) to USD39.4 billion in November 2020, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported on 4 January. It was also 1.1% higher than in October 2020. “Global sales of semiconductors continued to rise in November, increasing on a year-to-year basis by the highest percentage since March. Annual sales in 2020 are tracking well ahead of the total from 2019, despite substantial headwinds caused by the pandemic and other macroeconomic ...

Electric vehicle (EV) sales in Norway grew 27.3% year on year (y/y) to 76,804 units in 2020, according to OFV. In the first nine months, sales of EVs touched 48,175 units, which is a fall of 2.6% y/y. Sales of new, all-electric vans also grew 117% y/y to 306 units. EVs accounted for a 61.5% market share in September, and 50.5% in the January to September period. Volkswagen’s Audi brand topped the 2020 chart with its e-tron sports utility and sportsback vehicles as the most sold new passenge...

Xpeng has reported a growth of 112% year on year (y/y) in its vehicle deliveries to 27,041 units in the full year 2020, according to a company press release on 3 January. Cumulative P7 deliveries for the year reached 15,062 with mass delivery beginning at the end of June. A total of 11,979 G3s were delivered in 2020. In the fourth quarter of 2020, Company delivered a total of 12,964 Smart EVs, including 8,527 P7s, which was a growth of 303% y/y. The company said that it achieved a record monthly...

In a press release dated 2 January, Tesla announced that its vehicle deliveries grew 36% year on year (y/y) to 499,550 units in 2020. The deliveries included 57,039 units of Model S and X, and 442,511 units of Model 3 and Model Y. Tesla produced a total of 509,737 units, including 54,805 units of Model S and X, and 454,932 units of Model 3 and Model Y. In Addition, Tesla also announced that it has started Model Y production in Shanghai and deliveries are expected to begin shortly. Signific...

Horizon Robotics expects its automotive-grade processors to come pre-installed in at least 5 million vehicles in 2023, according to Horizon's founder and CEO Yu Kai as reported China Daily on 28 December. Yu added that the number will help the company achieve around 50% share of the mainland Chinese market that year. Yu told China Daily that over 160,000 chips were expected to be deployed in 2020 and the company has received orders for more than 20 models from different companies. Horizon wil...

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company Li Auto delivered 32,624 EVs in 2020, the company said in a press release on 1 January. In December 2020, the company delivered 6,126 units of Li One electric sport utility vehicle (SUV). In the fourth quarter, EV deliveries totaled 14,464 units, up 67% over the preceding third quarter.   Significance: Li Auto has recorded robust performance in its first year of commercial operations. The Chinese EV company started volume production of its first EV m...

Chinese electric carmaker, NIO, has announced its fourth quarter and full year 2020 delivery results. According to a press release issued by NIO on 3 January, the company delivered 7,007 vehicles in December 2020, setting a new monthly record and representing a 121% year-over-year (y/y) growth. The deliveries consisted of 2,009 units of the ES8 6-seater and 7-seater flagship premium electric SUV, 2,493 units of the ES6 5-seater electric SUV, and 2,505 units of the EC6 5-seater electric coupe ...

Volkswagen has announced that it will adjust production at mainland Chinese, North American and European locations in the first quarter of 2021 due to the supply shortage of semiconductors, according to a press release by the German automaker on 18 December. According to Volkswagen, the affected vehicles are based on the MQB platform of the Volkswagen passenger cars and commercial vehicles, ŠKODA, SEAT and, to a limited extent, Audi brands. “We have come through the crisis well so far, ...

French carmaker Renault has registered a spurt in the sales of its electric vehicles (EVs) during the January–November 2020 period in Europe. According to a press release issued by Renault on 8 December, the company registered EV sales of 95,985 units, implying an increase of 80% year on year (y/y) from the sales figure recorded during the same time frame of 2019. The company recorded sales of more than 84,000 units of the third-generation Renault Zoe, which was launched in 2019, and n...

Bosch has said that it has been impacted by a ‘severe supply shortage’ for imported microprocessors, resulting in limited ability to cater to the automotive market demand in India, according to a company press release dated 8 December. Bosch also stated that due to increased safety and hygiene sentiments as well as the growth of the 5G market, there has been a surge in global demand of semiconductors for consumer electronics. Significance: The shortage of auto chips is also likely to h...

Japan-based carmaker, Honda, has announced that it has temporarily stopped manufacturing operations at its plant in Swindon, UK. According to a report filed by news agency BBC on 9 December, Honda’s Swindon facility operates using the ‘just in time’ manufacturing system, where components are brought into the plant only when they are required. However, Honda has reported that it is currently facing shipping delays and congestion at ports around the UK. Backlogs and other problems have be...

Shortage of auto chips could have a big impact on car production at some mainland Chinese companies in the first quarter of 2021, Reuters reported on 8 December, citing a senior industry executive. According to an investigation conducted by China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), production at some companies will have a “relatively big impact” in the first three months of 2021, Reuters added, quoting Li Shaohua, deputy secretary general at CAAM. However, CAAM does not expect th...

American automaker Ford is delaying the launch of its new SUV, the Bronco, over obstacles at its suppliers caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report filed by news agency Reuters on 5 December, the launch of this new vehicle has been deferred to the summer of 2021, from the original launch date in the spring. The aforementioned suppliers have had development work for tooling delayed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ford will commence the manufacturing of the Bronco S...

The State Grid Corporation of China is planning to install additional 300,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across mainland China, Yicai Global reported on 20 November citing CNR News. The new charging stations will support rising growth of EVs in the world’s largest automotive market. Currently, State Grid operates slightly over 1 million EV charging stations in mainland China, serving 5.5 million EV customers. The company’s smart charging network is connected to 626,000 chargi...

Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales in the United Kingdom grew by over 172% year on year (y/y) to 17,110 units in October, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) announced in a press release on 5 November. This includes 9,335 units of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which is a growth of 195.2% y/y, and just 7,775 units of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), which is a growth of 148.7% y/y. Full hybrid vehicles also recorded a growth of 39% y/y to 11,038 units in October. In the Januar...

Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales in the European Union (EU) grew by over 211% year on year (y/y) to 273,809 units during the third quarter ended 30 September 2020, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) announced in a press release on 5 November. During the quarter, PEV segment, which includes plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), accounted for 9.9% of the total car sales in the EU region. PHEV sales grew by over 368% y/y to 138,348 during the thr...

Electric vehicle (EV) startups NIO and Xpeng Motors have reported strong growth in EV deliveries in China in October, the two companies announced in separate press releases. NIO’s EV deliveries grew by 100.1% year on year (y/y) to 5,055 units in October. The deliveries consisted of 2,695 units ES6, 1,477 units of ES8, and 883 units of EC6. In October, Xpeng Motors  delivered a total of 3,040 Smart EVs, which is a growth of 229% y/y. This included 2,104 units of P7 electric sedan and 93...

New energy vehicles (NEVs) are expected to account for 20% of total new car sales in China by 2025, Reuters reported on 2 November citing China’s state council. According to a policy paper released by the State Council, it will also improve its NEV quota system after the subsidy program expires in 2022. Significance: As per Chinese government’s definition, NEVs include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Currently, the...

Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales in European Union (EU) increased 52.8% year on year (y/y) to 458,915 units in 2019, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) announced in a report launched on 28 October. Of these, battery-electric vehicles (BEV) accounted for 284,812 units (growth of 93% y/y), and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) accounted for 174,103 units (13.9% y/y). Hybrids (HEV) also witnessed strong growth of 49.8% y/y to 896,785 units. Fuel-cell vehicles (FCEV) sales alm...

In a press release dated 16 October, BMW informed that it has cumulatively produced 200,000 units of all-electric sedan i3. The 200,000th BMW i3 model rolled off the production line at BMW Group plant in Leipzig, Germany. Significance: BMW started production of the i3 in 2013. The BMW i3 with 125 kW/170 hp and BMW i3s with 135 kW are built in Leipzig for the entire world market on a dedicated production line. In addition, the gross energy content of the high-voltage storage unit was almost do...

IHS Markit conducted a survey in July that asked 30 automotive semiconductor suppliers about the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) viral pandemic. According to the survey, most respondents saw demand for automotive semiconductors rebounding faster than expected compared to a previous IHS Markit poll in April. Although demand was returning, it was not happening at an alarming rate, and semiconductor inventory levels were relatively constant. In short, there were few indications of...

Electric vehicle (EV) sales in Norway grew 57.1% year on year (y/y) to 9,560 units in September, according to OFV, which cited data from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. In the first nine months, sales of EVs touched 48,175 units, which is a fall of 2.6% y/y. Sales of new, all-electric vans also grew 117% y/y to 306 units. EVs accounted for a 61.5% market share in September, and 50.5% in the January to September period. The number of hybrids sold in Norway grew by 67.5% y/y, to 4,25...

In a press release dated 2 October, Tesla announced that it delivered 139,300 vehicle units in the third quarter ended 30 September 2020. This is a growth of 43.6% year on year (y/y) compared with 97,000 units delivered in the third quarter of 2019. In the third quarter. Tesla delivered 15,200 units of Model S and X, and 124,100 units of Model 3 and Y. During the quarter, Tesla produced over 145,000 units. Significance: Tesla informed that in terms of days of sales, new vehicle inventory...

Mainland Chinese automaker SAIC is planning to sell 10,000 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in China by 2025, Yicai Global reported on 14 September. The company aims to launch 10 hydrogen FCEVs in China in that period. Recently, SAIC Maxus also unveiled a hydrogen fuel cell-powered model, the Maxus EUNIQ 7. The vehicle has a range of around 605 km, as per New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Significance: SAIC is joining the growing number of companies which are focusing on hydrogen technolog...

New-energy vehicle (NEV) sales in mainland China increased nearly 19.3% year on year (y/y) to 98,000 units in August, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) announced on its website today (11 September). This included 89,000 units of passenger cars and 9,000 units of commercial vehicles. The passenger car NEV sales included 70,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 19,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). In the first eight months of 2020, total NEV sales touched 486,...

SiriusXM has said that it is increasing its full-year (FY) 2020 guidance for self-pay subscriber net additions to about 700,000 from 500,000 it had expected earlier, a company press release on 9 September read. SiriusXM also reiterated its existing 2020 financial guidance. For FY 2020, it expects a total revenue of about USD7.7 billion, adjusted EBITDA of around USD2.4 billion, and free cash flow of approximately USD1.6 billion. “Our business continues to demonstrate strong performance a...

Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose 4.9% year on year (y/y) to USD35.2 billion in July 2020, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported on 3 September. It was also 2.1% higher than in June 2020. “The global semiconductor market has remained largely resistant to global macroeconomic headwinds through the first seven months of the year, with sales in July increasing on both a year-to-year and month-to-month basis, but substantial market uncertainty remains for the rest of the ye...

Sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the European Union jumped 53.3% year on year (y/y), to 129,344 units, during the second quarter, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) announced in a press release today (3 September). Within this segment, battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales grew 12.7% y/y, to 63,216 units, while registrations of plug-in hybrids jumped 133.9% y/y, to 66,128 units. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales decreased 7.2% y/y, to 172,149 units, during...

NIO has recorded a growth of 104.1% year on year (y/y) in electric vehicle (EV) deliveries to 3,965 units in August, according to a company press release on 3 September. This included 2,840 units of ES6s and 1,125 units of ES8, the Company’s 6-seater and 7-seater flagship premium smart electric sport utility vehicle (SUV). At the end of August, cumulative deliveries of the ES8 and the ES6 combined reached 53,580 vehicles, of which 21,667 were delivered in 2020. “In August, we achieved our...

German carmaker, Volkswagen, has announced that it has commenced production of its new pure electric vehicle (PEV), the ID.4, at its manufacturing facility located at Zwickau in Germany. According to a press release issued by Volkswagen on 20 August, the company stated that the ID.4 compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) is the second model from the brand to be underpinned by the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform. Volkswagen had earlier announced that the Zwickau production plant wil...

Battery-electric car (BEV) sales in the United Kingdom grew more than 259% year on year (y/y) to 8,162 units in July, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) announced in a press release on 5 August. Sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) also saw a similar sharp growth of more than 320% y/y to 7,447 units in July. Full hybrid vehicles recorded growth of 64.9% y/y to 12,779 units during the month. While BEVs accounted for 4.7% of the total cars sold in July, PHEVs contributed 4....

Indian carmaker, Tata Motors, has rolled out the 1,000th unit of its electric vehicle (EV), the Nexon EV. According to a press statement issued by Tata Motors on 18 August, the company mentioned that this milestone was reached in just over six months after the commercial launch of the vehicle. The Tata Nexon EV enabled Tata Motors to register 62% of the EV market share in India during the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2021. The company has also launched a subscription model to facili...

As part of its commitment to the goals of the Paris climate agreement, BMW has announced that it targets to sell 7 million vehicles with electrified drive systems by 2030. In a press release issued by BMW on 12 August, the company also stated that two-thirds of these vehicles would be pure electric models, as part of its focus on electromobility. The company has stated that, as a result of this push for vehicles with electrified powertrains, the emissions produced per kilometer by BMW Group v...

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in Germany jumped 181.7% year on year (y/y) to 16,798 units in July, according to a press release by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). EVs accounted for 5.3% of total vehicle registrations in July. During the month, 52,488 hybrids were registered, which is a growth of 143.5% y/y. This included 19,119 units of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), the sales of which grew by over 484%. While total hybrid share in new vehicle registrations was 16.7%, the share...