The Porsche Mission E, the concept that previewed the companys upcoming Taycan EVHandout / Porsche Porsches iconic 911 sports car, which shaped the German brands elite image for decades, may soon get eclipsed by the Taycan EV.Months before its official unveiling in September, Porsche has already amassed deposits for nearly 30,000 Taycans, and the early haul supports plans to lift annual production of the brands first all-electric model to 40,000 vehicles, Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said Monday in a note.With Porsche delivering 35,600 911s last year, the Taycan to be priced at roughly US$90,000 could zoom past the conventional two-door to define the brand for the next generation.Success of the Taycan is critical for parent company Volkswagen to boost the appeal of electric cars as it prepares for a rollout of battery-powered vehicles for the masses. The Taycans arrival could also pose a fresh challenge to Teslas Model S, a key vehicle for Elon Musks push to make the U.S. electric-car leader profitable.Customers can register as a prospective Taycan buyer by placing a 2,500-euro deposit, which gets deducted from the final purchase price. To help drive uptake, Porsche is installing fast chargers at dealerships in the U.S. and Europe that will load the Taycans battery with enough power to drive as far as 100 kilometers (62 miles) in four minutes. The cars total range on a single charge stands at 500 kilometers.Porsche set an initial production target of 20,000 vehicles per year, based on a two-shift system, but that can be expanded if needed, production chief Albrecht Reimold told reporters last year.The company has been rapidly building up capacity in recent months. For the 1,500 new hires needed to produce the Taycan, Porsche said Monday that it has recruited nearly 1,000 so far after receiving some 32,000 applications. The training process for the electric-car assembly lasts as long as six
Origin: Porsche’s Taycan EV on track to zoom past 911 sales
sales
Aston Martin shares fall as uncertainty hits sales
Shares in Aston Martin have dived as the Gaydon-based car maker cut its sales and profit forecasts, attributing the fall to weak markets in the UK and Europe and economic uncertainty. The luxury marque said it was “taking immediate actions to improve efficiency and reduce the costs base as (it) heads into 2020”. Shares fell 22% in early trading, taking them down to around £8, a 55% fall over the £19 price which valued the company at £4.3bn when it first floated in October 2018. Aston Martin’s revised wholesale volumes are now 6300 to 6500 vehicles for the full year, down from the 7100 to 7300 units forecast at the time of its annual results in February. Wholesale car sales fell 22% in the UK and by 28% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while it was a rosier picture elsewhere: in America, now Aston Martin’s biggest market, volumes rose by 20% in the first half of the year. Aston Martin said retail sales grew by 26% in the first six months of 2019 but the poor performance in wholesale – which grew by only 6% globally – prompted a downgrading of full-year financial expectations. Along with a revised outlook on volumes, Aston Martin is expecting full-year figures to see an adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) margin down 20% and profit margin down 8%. Aston Martin said: “We anticipate that this softness will continue for the remainder of the year and are planning prudently for 2020.” Chief executive Andy Palmer has previously warned of the potential impact a no-deal Brexit could have on the car industry. The marque said that production of its DBX SUV and Valkyrie hypercar “remain on plan”. It added: “During the first half, we have been disciplined, as appropriate for our luxury positioning in maintaining the quality of sales with core wholesales up 9% supporting a continued reduction in dealer inventory as we prepare the network for DBX.” Palmer commented: “Whilst retails have grown by 26% year-to-date, our wholesale performance is adversely impacted by macro-economic uncertainty and enduring weakness in UK and European markets. We are disappointed that short-term wholesales have fallen short of our original expectations, but we are committed to maintaining quality of sales and protecting our brand position first and foremost. “We are today taking decisive action to manage inventory and the Aston Martin Lagonda brands for the long-term. We remain focused on the successful execution of the Second Century Plan and on delivering sustainable long-term
Origin: Aston Martin shares fall as uncertainty hits sales
10 curious storylines to watch from 2019’s first half of Canadian auto sales
This weeks hot Unhaggle deal includes the Ford F-150, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500.Handout / Ford / GMC / Ram Canadian auto sales are down. In fact, Canadian auto sales have been in decline since the early spring of last year, failing to match the prior-year totals in 16 consecutive months.The story is becoming all too familiar; the headlines too easy to write. Automobile manufacturers cant seem to quit the passenger car business fast enough and cant open new SUV assembly plants with any more haste. Premium marques, via products such as the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Lexus UX, are diving downmarket in the hopes of sustaining the last decades conspicuous march into the mainstream. Last years top sellers are this years top sellers. And then theres the unpredictable Tesla, with meaningful volume and a future always in question.Those are the main themes. But in a market thats lost more than 5 percent of its volume through the first half of the year, weve sorted through the numbers to find 10 stories that fill in the blanks. In search of a measure of nuance, these 10 tales are the details well want to look back on in six months time to see how 2019 really turned out.Top Trucks TumbleIn the highly competitive full-size pickup truck arena, the fact that the Ford F-150 hasnt been fully redesigned since the 2015 model year should, theoretically, bode well for freshly redesigned rivals. The Ram 1500, GMC Sierra, and Chevrolet Silverado were all new for the 2019 model year. Yet in a gradually shrinking pickup truck market, Fords full-size pickup truck sales are up 4 percent this year, while the second, third, and fourth-ranked trucks from Ram, GMC, and Chevrolet are sliding. And theyre sliding quite noticeably. The F-Series top challengers are collectively down by more than 7,000 sales so far this year.The Detroit RiverOnce known as The Big Three and now more clearly as The Detroit Three (irrespective of brand origin), General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles produced only 41 percent of all auto sales in Canada during 2019s first six months. Thats down from 43 percent at this stage of 2018, its worse than the market share produced by the trio during the last major recession of a decade ago, and its a far cry from the 53 percent share attributed to the Detroit Three as recently as 2007.Car QuintetThe fact that cars traditional passenger cars the likes of which more than half of all buyers opted for a decade ago are struggling is not news. Barely more than one-quarter of all automobile purchases ends up as a car acquisition. But what amplifies the degree to which cars are now so wholly rejected is the decline of Canadas most popular cars. Through the first half of 2019, Canadas five best-selling cars (Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf) are all selling less often than they did a year ago. In fact, the quintet has combined to lose nearly 10,000 sales compared with a year ago.Homegrown SUVsBoth of Canadas two best-selling cars are built right here in Canada. The same can be said in the SUV/crossover sector. The difference, however, is the level of success encountered by Canadian-made SUVs; not just the number one Toyota RAV4 and number two Honda CR-V but by other Canadian-assembled utility vehicles, as well. The RAV4, CR-V, and Ford Edge all rank inside the top 10. Together with the Chevrolet Equinox, Lexus RX, Ford Flex, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln MKT, Canadian-made SUVs account for nearly one-fifth of the SUV market.Monotonous Minivan MinimizingShoppers that in times past were automatically destined to drive away from a new car dealer in a minivan are, just like passenger car buyers, increasingly destined to buy a new three-row crossover. This isnt a new phenomenon, but the rate at which Canadas five-strong minivan lineup is collapsing is now solidly in nosedive mode. Minivan volume plunged 19 percent in calendar year 2018; minivans are down 18 percent this year. That takes these monobox people carriers down to just 3.5 percent of the market. Aside from an uptick in sales of the Kia Sedona (which accounts for less than one-tenth of the segment), each nameplate in the segment is in decline. The Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Honda Odyssey are all down by double-digit percentage losses compared with 2018.Vorsprung Durch OffspringIn Audis showrooms, the student has become the teacher. Audis A4 lineup goes back generations, all the way to the mid-90s B5 generation of which nearly 1.7 million were built. In 2007, the A4 made possible an Audi coupe/convertible range called the A5. As time wore on, it became clear that the two-door market was evolving. Thus, the launch of the second-generation A5 spawned a direct A4 rival called the A5 Sportback, a liftback four-door A5 that, as it turns out, helps to make the A5 far more popular than ever. In fact, the car that Audi spun off from the A4 to incrementally add premium passenger car sales is now
Origin: 10 curious storylines to watch from 2019’s first half of Canadian auto sales
Volvo’s SUV growth drives record sales
Volvo has recorded record sales in the first half of 2019, with the success of its SUV range helping the firm sell 340,286 cars – including strong growth in the UK market. The Swedish firm’s global sales between January and June were up 7.3 per cent on 2018, despite the struggles of the global car market. The growth has been driven by Volvo’s SUV range, which accounted for 60.7% of its total sales. Volvo sold 30,026 sales in the UK in the first six months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 30 per cent. The firm also reported growth of 32 per cent in Germany and 10.2 per cent in China, despite the European and Chinese car markets continuing to decline. Volvo boss Hakan Samuelsson said the results showed the firm was now “a real premium alternative” as a brand. Those strong sales helped Volvo achieve record revenues of 130.1 billion SEK (£11 billion), a 5.9 per cent year-on-year increase. The firm’s operating profit was down, due to a series of cost-cutting measures and investment in research. The XC60 SUV was Volvo’s best-selling model in the first half of 2019, with 50,946 sales. That was 0.1 per cent down year-on-year, largely due to a fall in sales in Sweden. Volvo also sold 32,961 examples of the new XC40 small SUV, up 88.3 per cent on
Origin: Volvo’s SUV growth drives record sales
Canadian auto sales fall for 16th straight month
In this Monday, April 24, 2017, photo, GM pickup trucks are on display at Quirk Auto Dealers in Manchester, N.H.Charles Krupa / Associated PRess The Canadian auto industry posted its sixteenth consecutive deceleration in sales in June, contracting another 7.2 per cent during the month compared to the same period last year.The latest monthly report from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. reveals virtually all the top-selling brands such as Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler reporting lower sales.Year-to-date, auto manufacturers saw sales of roughly 980,000, compared to just over one million during the same period last year.Weve been expecting single-digit declines all year and thats exactly what weve been getting. The auto markets have always been cyclical and were clearly in a correction period, says Dennis DesRosiers, president of the Toronto-based consultancy.According to DesRosiers, most vehicles are built to last for around a decade, or about 300,000 kilometres. Most people bought new vehicles in the early part of the cycle and they continue to hold on to it, leaving the market saturated.DesRosiers expects this downward movement to continue this year and possibly into 2020.What is more puzzling is the decline in sales of luxury vehicles a trend DesRosiers has been noting since January. Luxury vehicles are a more reliable segment, and until recently, had been one of the fastest growing since this century. In 2008, luxury cars held 7.1 per cent of the countrys market share, but by 2018, that share had grown to 12.1 per cent.Luxury cars have a shorter lifespan, and a regular turnover with income levels often not deemed an issue for their buyers. Mercedes-Benz saw a 17.7-per-cent drop year-to-date, with contracting Audi just over 20 per cent and BMW falling 6.6 per cent during the period.We wonder if some of that is pretend luxury buyers, people that got into the luxury market but really werent legitimate luxury buyers, said DesRosiers. Now that vehicle is 8 or 9 years old were back down to a more normal situation and they just cant afford to go in.While overall auto sales may be down, the actual ownership of vehicles has never been higher in Canada. According to DesRosiers, in 2000, 17 million, or two-thirds of the population owned a vehicle that figure now stands at 86 per cent, or 28 million.Were becoming very American-like in our ownership habits and the types of vehicles were driving, said DesRosiers. U.S. Department of Transportation data shows that there were 0.77 cars for every person in America in 2016.In terms of individual brands, Ford led the pack once again with 154,203 units sold in Canada this year to date, marginally lower compared to the same period last year. DesRosiers attributes Fords continued dominance in the market to its F-series and the latest edition of the F-150 heavy pickup truck. General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota followed Ford, respectively.Looking at the glass half full, if sales for the remainder of 2019 track along current levels, we will still have one of the better sales years ever in Canada, David Adams, president of industry association Global Automakers of Canada, said in a separate report.The slowdown in Canada is in sharp contrast to auto sales across the border, which rose nearly 2 per cent to 206,083, driven by a 56 per cent jump in FCAs Ram
Origin: Canadian auto sales fall for 16th straight month
Pure EVs overtake PHEV sales for first time in four years
Pure EVs overtake PHEV sales for first time in four years Not since December 2014 have sales of pure EVs been higher than PHEVs Pure-electric cars outsold plug-in hybrids for the first time since December 2014, as the electric vehicle market continues its shift away from PHEVs and increased numbers of pure-EVs come to market. According to today’s figures (Thursday 4th July) from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK car market as a whole showed a 2.4% drop in overall sales during the month, compared with June 2018, but pure-electric sales increased 62%. with 2,461 EVs registered. Plug-in hybrids continue the category’s struggles in 2019, with only February’s performance exceeding the previous year’s. June was its toughest month to date, with -52% in registrations compared to 2018. The first six months of 2019 have seen an 8% decline in registrations of electric vehicles compared to the first half of 2018. Pure electric models have grown 61% in the same timeframe though, while PHEVs have dropped 31%. June’s figures are the first time the SMMT has broken down sales of mild hybrids and hybrids, whereas previously there hadn’t been clarity as to how the former fitted in with alternatively fuelled vehicles and petrol/diesels. Mild hybrids have shown huge growth since 2018, with petrol-based models up 456% and diesel mild-hybrids up 80%. This is predominantly down to the fact that there are far more models on the market than before, and the likes of Audi are replacing petrol- or diesel-only line-ups with mild hybrid engines. Table courtesy of SMMT Hybrids, which have performed well for some time, mainly thanks to Toyota/Lexus’s policy of replacing diesels with hybrid options, dropped 5%. Diesels fell 21%, with a market share of only 26% now after a couple of years’ of decline in confidence from buyers. The petrol market increased 3%. now making up two out of every three cars registered in the UK.
Origin: Pure EVs overtake PHEV sales for first time in four years
Plug-in hybrid sales drop by half in June
Demand for plug-in hybrid cars fell by half in June, the biggest fall yet seen in this sector of the market, according to figures from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Plug-in hybrid sales decreased by 50.4% in June, and year-to-date, fell by 29.6%. The SMMT blamed the trend on the Government’s removal of the grant for these vehicles, which was announced in October last year. Supply issues for plug-in hybrids, related to the introduction of WLTP emissions testing last year, is another factor in their decline. While plug-in hybrid sales fell in June, electric vehicle registrations rose by 61.7%, closely in line with demand year-to-date. In the first six months of 2019, EV demand has increased by 60.3%. The overall new car market declined for the fourth consecutive month in June, falling by 4.9% with 223,421 units sold. Year-to-date, UK car registrations dropped by 3.4% to 1.27m units, as “ongoing confusion over low emission zones and diesel, the removal of key ultra low emission vehicle incentives and an overall decline in buyer confidence affected the market,” said the SMMT. However, it added that the figures were in line with expectations. The downward trend for diesel continued in June with a fall of 20.5%. Year-to-date, diesel sales have decreased by 19.4%. Conversely, petrol sales grew by 3% in June and 3.5% year-to-date. Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “Another month of decline is worrying but the fact that sales of alternatively fuelled cars are going into reverse is a grave concern. Manufacturers have invested billions to bring these vehicles to market but their efforts are now being undermined by confusing policies and the premature removal of purchase incentives. “If we are to see widespread uptake of these vehicles, which are an essential part of a smooth transition to zero emission transport, we need world-class, long-term incentives and substantial investment in infrastructure. Fleet renewal remains the quickest way to address environmental concerns today and consumers should have the confidence – and support – to choose the new car that best meets their driving needs, whatever the technology, secure in the knowledge that it is safer and cleaner than ever before.” The supermini segment remains the biggest selling segment in the UK, making up 31% of registrations in the first six months. The Ford Fiesta remains Britain’s top-selling car followed by the Vauxhall Corsa and Mini
Origin: Plug-in hybrid sales drop by half in June
Ford shuts down Alabama dealership’s ‘shotgun, Bible and flag’ sales incentive
Alabama is a strange place. Where else in the world would the promise of a free gun, a Bible and American flag be used to sell cars so effectively that the actual automaker would have to step in to put a stop to it? Because we’re not making this up. It’s happening. Now. In Alabama. Down in the town of Chatom, the local dealership, Chatom Ford, thought it’d honour America’s upcoming independence celebration with a special promotion it called “God, Guns and Freedom.” The promo offered anyone buying a car at the dealership a free Bible, a U.S. flag and a certificate good for a 12-gauge shotgun wherever shotguns are sold. “I guess it went viral, as the kids say,” said Koby Palmer, general sales manager at the dealership, in an interview with USA Today, referencing a Facebook video advertising the special, which got over 60,000 views in three days. “We live in a small town of 1,200 people. It’s a very small, rural area. They lean on their religious beliefs, their pride in America and they love to hunt.”Palmer says the dealership sold five vehicles in those three days thanks to the special. The deal was supposed to run until the end of July, but was cut short once Ford caught wind of what was going on. The Facebook post was replaced with a statement that reads, “Ford Motor Company has asked us to stop running the advertisement. They manufacture the products we are franchised to sell, so we are complying with their request.” However, the dealer and automaker must’ve worked something out, because as of June 27, Chatom Ford is promoting a variation on the “God and Glory” sale once again — no “guns.” Now the voucher for a shotgun is instead a certificate for “whatever you want.” That points to Ford’s hang-up quite possibly being on that particular part of the promotion.Well, Happy Independence Day, Murica. Please celebrate
Origin: Ford shuts down Alabama dealership’s ‘shotgun, Bible and flag’ sales incentive
Hyundai, Toyota pause fuel-cell sales over explosion in Norway
A hydrogen fuel station in Sandvika, Norway, was totally ripped apart when an explosion occurred, prompting Toyota and Hyundai to pause the sale of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for sale. According to local news site NRK, two people were hospitalized when the shockwave of the explosion set off their airbags. A 500-metre safety zone was also established around the site. Nel, the station operator, has closed its other hydrogen fueling stations in Norway as a precaution. It is too early to speculate about the cause, Nel boss Jon André Løkke said in a phone interview. Our top priority is the safe operation of the stations we supply. As a precaution, we have temporarily closed 10 more stations until further information is available. The station was the first of a new generation that the company implemented, opening in November 2016. The design allowed the hydrogen to be placed farther away from other components, as gave it a much smaller footprint. In a statement, Toyota exec Epsen Olsen said the automaker will temporarily stop selling the Mirai until we have learned what has happened, and for practical reasons since there’s no place to fill them up. Local news shared several videos from witnesses who saw the ensuing fire. Electrive reports two experts have been flown in from Denmark to advise the rescue crew and help investigate the exact cause.
Origin: Hyundai, Toyota pause fuel-cell sales over explosion in Norway
Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. sales chief files ‘whistleblower’ lawsuit over sales reports
Detroit, Michigan Ð Jan. 14, 2019 Ð Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand, celebrates after 2019 Ram 1500 was named North American Truck of the Year (NATOY) at the North American International Auto Show today. Selected by a jury of automotive journalists, the NATOY award joins a long list of awards won by the Ram brand this year. For more information contact Dave Elshoff at 248-797-2300 or Nick Cappa at 248-202-8039. Reid Bigland, the U.S. sales chief of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), has filed a “whistleblower” lawsuit against the automaker, claiming he’s been made a scapegoat over a federal probe into inflated sales reporting practices. According to the suit, Bigland said he has cooperated with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and has testified about the sales reports, which he said predated his appointment to the position of sales chief in 2011. Bigland claimed that last March, as punishment for his testimony, FCA slashed his pay by about 90 per cent. The automaker would use his withheld salary to pay any penalties levied by the SEC. Bigland wrote a letter to federal investigators and to FCA last year outlining the reporting practices, which he said “he inherited.” He said he had not manipulated the methodology used to calculate sales. The lawsuit said the automaker’s actions will cost Bigland more than US$1.8 million in his bonus and stock payout. According to the suit, Bigland sold his shares in FCA last year, which the automaker did not like. The suit is asking for unspecified damages. FCA said in a statement that, like all of its corporate officers, Bigland’s bonus is subject to the company’s discretion. According to Automotive News, FCA voluntarily changed the way it reported its U.S. monthly sales, starting in July 2016. It then restated its results for the previous five years using the new method—which turned a previously-reported 75-month-long string of sales increases into about half that. Bigland said he wasn’t part of the new sales reporting process, and was only told that the automaker was considering using different methods. Born in Kamloops, British Columbia, Bigland became CEO of Chrysler Canada in 2006. Along with his position as head of U.S. sales, Bigland also heads up the Ram truck brand, and previously led Dodge, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. According to the Detroit News, the SEC began its investigations after two dealers in Illinois filed a civil racketeering lawsuit against FCA in 2016, saying the company offered its dealers money to report unsold vehicles as sold. A judge dismissed the racketeering claims and FCA settled the civil
Origin: Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. sales chief files ‘whistleblower’ lawsuit over sales reports
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