Japanese automakers report production recovery from battering a year earlier (27/07/10)

Japanese automakers enjoyed a strong first half of the year in terms of auto production, it has been confirmed.

Toyota produced 4.36 million units during the six-month period, representing a year-on-year rise of 46.8 per cent, with a 16.2 per cent jump to 739,683 vehicles posted for June.

Honda recorded a first-half rise of 36.7 per cent to 1.80 million vehicles, while global production in June was boosted by 17.7 per cent to 303,549 units.

According to the Associated Press, Mazda saw January to June production increase by 24.6 per cent to 115,146 vehicles and Mitsubishi witnessed a rise of 59.8 per cent to 92,324 vehicles.

Nissan Looks to Mexican Exports, U.S. Plants to Ease Impact of Strong Yen (28/07/10)

Nissan, which saw its global production increase by 38.8 per cent to 354,425 in the first half of 2010, has revealed that it will boost its annual output in Mexico to 700,000.

The company will spend $600 million to upgrade its existing facilities in the country and is considering increasing its exports from the US due to the strength of the yen at present.

"Based on the currencies, there is a point in time where the competitiveness of those exports is going to increase," Carlos Tavares, Nissan's Executive Vice President and Head of US Operations, told Bloomberg.

Volkswagen Posts Biggest Quarterly Profit in Two Years on Golf, A5 Demand (29/07/10)

Volkswagen posted a 16 per cent rise in deliveries in the first half, including a 46 per cent rise to 950,278 vehicles in China.

Europe's largest automaker is currently building two factories in the country as it aims to double production there to three million vehicles in the next three years.

Volkswagen also revealed that sales in the first six months of the year in the US - where it will open a new plant in Tennessee next year - rose by 29 per cent to 175,300.

Volkswagen Says Second-Half Car Sales to Drop as Government Incentives End (13/08/10)



VW warns on risk of decline in car market (13/08/10)

Volkswagen is targeting a second consecutive year of record deliveries in 2010 after introducing about 70 new models to its range.

However, the company has issued a warning that the second half of the year may prove tricky for the auto industry on a worldwide basis.

"Now that incentive programs have come to an end, the global automotive market is expected to decline in the second half," said sales chief Christian Klinger.

"[VW] will perform better than the competition. However, this will be a challenge, given an operating environment that is again becoming difficult."

Hyundai Profit Jumps 71% to Record as New Models Lure U.S., China Drivers (29/07/10)

Hyundai has confirmed that it delivered 916,507 vehicles to customers across the world in the second quarter, representing a year-on-year rise of 13 per cent.

However, the company's deliveries in South Korea, which is its most profitable market, fell by 18 per cent as government incentives came to an end and other automakers posted strong performances.

GM, Ford and Chrysler Sales All Lag Estimates (03/08/10)

General Motors (GM) recorded US deliveries of 199,692 during July, compared with a total of 189,443 for the same period 12 months earlier.

Ford also experienced a small rise, from 165,279 to 170,411, while Toyota posted a decline of 6.8 per cent, which bettered analysts' estimates for a 7.4 per cent drop.

Nissan posted a rise of ten per cent and Honda recorded a fall of 5.6 per cent, with both totals calculated on a seasonally-adjusted basis.

J.D. Power lowers U.S. auto sales forecasts (19/08/10)

JD Power and Associates has cut its US auto sales forecasts for the remainder of this year and 2011 amid worries about the pace of the economic recovery.

The group revised its 2010 forecast down from 11.7 million vehicles to 11.6 million, while also slashing a previous estimate for next year of 13.7 million to 13.2 million.

"While a sharper uptick in vehicle sales was previously expected for 2011, the reality of a prolonged recovery has driven a reduction in the forecast," Director of Forecasting Jeff Schuster told Reuters.

Ministry proposes 'assembly regime' changes (09/08/10)



Foreign carmakers occupy Russian markets (09/08/10)

Meanwhile, in Russia, experts now believe that 52.3 per cent of all cars produced are from foreign automakers, up from 46.9 per cent in 2009, RT reports.

Business daily Kommersant claimed that the industry and trade ministry intend to tighten the rules for overseas companies producing vehicles under the 'industry assembly regime'.

At present, the automakers can import parts at a lower customs duty rate if they commit to certain requirements in relation to their facilities.

However, the government is now keen to see the firms accept a new set of agreements, including eight-year preferences for imports of car components and reaching a 60 per cent level of 'localisation'.

Foreign automakers would have to create facilities capable of producing 300,000 cars and 200,000 engines per year, while also establishing a Russian car development centre within four years.

Maruti Expects to Start New Assembly Line Soon (09/08/10)

Maruti Suzuki has revealed that it expects to open a new assembly line at its factory in Manesar, northern India in September, seven months ahead of schedule.

The company is hoping to boost annual production at the facility by 250,000 cars from its current 300,000 capacity by April 2012, the Wall Street Journal reports.

India's largest automaker would subsequently increase its overall output to 1.25 million cars per year.

Chery set to build auto plant in Brazil (10/08/10)

Chery Automobile plans to invest $700 million to build a new plant in Jacarei city in Brazil, Gasgoo.com reports.

The new factory will offer an annual production capacity of 170,000 units when it comes online in 2013.

Mexico's July Auto Output Up 65% On Year, Sales Lag (10/08/10)

The Mexican Auto Industry Association has confirmed that auto production in the country increased by 65 per cent on a year-on-year basis in July to 180,083 units.

A 58 per cent rise in exports to 143,521 vehicles contributed strongly to the increased performance, with a 52 per cent increase reported for the US, which is Mexico's largest export market.

Mexico is now set for a record year in terms of production and exports, as the former reached 1.26 million between January and July, representing a 77 per cent jump from the same period in 2009.

China will Produce 15 million Green Energy Cars in 2020 (10/08/10)

China will produce 15 million clean-energy automobiles per year by 2020, according to a new report published by the Xinmin Evening Post.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers also predicted that the world's largest auto market will produce 16.5 million vehicles this year, a rise of more than 20 per cent from the 2009 total of 13.79 million.

Geely-Volvo China HQ settles in Shanghai (20/08/10)

And finally, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group has received the green light to build a new production facility in Shanghai for its Volvo models.

The company confirmed that the new facility, which will cover about 800,000 sq m in the Jiading Industrial Zone, will offer annual production of about 300,000 units.

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