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Beijing V standard will boost Chinese micro-hybrid market

Automotive World — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:01:15 +0000

BY SALIL SOMAN, POWERGENIX. Throughout this past winter, a toxic blanket of smog settled over Beijing. At one point, pollution measured 40 times the recommended safety levels, prompting public outrage. With more than 13 million cars sold in China last year, vehicles remain a major source of the dangerous pollution levels in big cities like Beijing. Although China has traditionally been resistant to passing stringent environmental regulations, January’s ’airpocalypse’ is proving to be the catalyst for change.

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Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road

Automotive World — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:59:34 +0000

BY MARTIN KAHL. As ever with penalty increases, news that UK drivers caught texting could soon be paying increased fines of £90 (US$137) has received mixed responses. In a survey a year ago by the UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists, 51% disagreed with the proposal, 28% strongly, while 35% agreed with the proposal.

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China looks to fuel-borne DPF catalysts

Automotive World — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:25:52 +0000

BY ALAN BUNTING. High levels of sulphur in diesel fuel in some less developed automotive markets are hampering efforts to meet newly targeted emission standards, even with the most modern engine technology

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HNIs will make India a top 3 luxury car market by 2020

Automotive World — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:58:05 +0000

BY MANMEET MALHI, EOS INTELLIGENCE. Despite the overall slowdown of India’s automotive market, the country’s luxury vehicles segment - that is those cars which are 4.5m in length, priced above US$32,000 or have an engine size of at least 1800cc - continues to grow at double digits.

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Mixed welcome for EC’s new truck design proposal

Automotive World — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:10:03 +0000

BY OLIVER DIXON. The EC's new truck design proposal is to be applauded. Where the applause becomes rather more subdued is in its timing.

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UK govt’s EV charge point funding is fair and generous

Automotive World — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:01:44 +0000

BY MATTHEW TREVASKIS, ECODRIVE. The recent announcement by the UK government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles, that it will provide a further £37m (US$55m) to support the expansion of an EV charging infrastructure, is a huge opportunity for enthusiastic regions to promote EVs.

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Who needs double drive on big rigs?

Automotive World — Thu, 02 May 2013 08:51:54 +0000

BY ALAN BUNTING. There remain sharp transatlantic differences in heavy truck configuration, the most notable being the near universal acceptance of bonneted cabs in North America, in contrast to the full forward-control – or ‘cab over’ – layout accepted for many decades in Europe. Without the imposition of a legal overall length limit for tractor-trailer (i.e. articulated) combinations by the US federal authorities or by individual states, that situation is unlikely to change.

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Renault To Make Nissan Micras – Not Before Time

Automotive World — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:25:12 +0000

BY IAN HENRY, AUTOANALYSIS. The Renault-Nissan Alliance has been operational for so long now that perhaps the biggest surprise about the announcement that Renault will build Nissans in France from 2016 is that this has not happened before.

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Green motoring is dependent on rapid charge availability

Automotive World — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:50:20 +0000

BY MARTIN HALE, ABB. When we think of green motoring, many of us automatically think of electric cars. Governments are keen to promote electric vehicle use to meet their agreed emissions levels and so are eager to get as many of us as possible into EVs and away from ‘gas guzzlers’ - but are they going it about it the right way?

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Shanghai Auto Show 2013: A Turning Point In China’s EV Strategy?

Automotive World — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:27:47 +0000

BY MARTIN KAHL. It appears China may not be the saviour of the battery EV (BEV) after all where, despite ambitious government targets, EV sales continue to disappoint. Nonetheless, OEMs cannot ignore China as far as pure electric vehicles are concerned, and global manufacturers continue to launch China-only EV brands with their local partners: BMW Brilliance has recently announced Zinoro; http://www.automotiveworld.com/articles/bmw-jv-catches-rising-ev-wave-in-china/ Daimler and BYD used Shanghai to display the latest incarnation of their first Denza brand electric SUV, and Toyota and FAW showed a Ranz-branded vehicle. Venucia (Dongfeng Nissan), by comparison, is almost a household name.

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Class 8 production vs retail sales: the widening dichotomy

Automotive World — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:06:38 +0000

BY OLIVER DIXON. As Q1 data continues to roll in from the North American trucking industry, so an interesting and divergent picture is painted.

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Consumer Rights Make Show Of OEM Wrongs In China

Automotive World — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:35:50 +0000

BY DR PAOLO BECONCINI. Every year, 15 March marks Consumer Rights Day in China. Although the name evokes images of a day on which consumer rights are festively celebrated, with government officials making new propositions for the year to come, for foreign manufacturers of consumer products sold in China - including automotive OEMs - Consumer Rights Day may as well be a national witch hunt.

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Cool Running Bad News For Euro VI Truck Diesels

Automotive World — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:18:58 +0000

BY ALAN BUNTING. During the period when exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) were ‘rival’ technologies for the control of tailpipe oxides of nitrogen (NOx) diesel emissions, the trend through the previous decade or so, towards engine downsizing, was put on hold or even reversed by the champions of EGR.

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Can EU car market weather sales decline storm?

Automotive World — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:34:25 +0000

BY MARTIN KAHL. Anyone who thought they’d seen light at the end of the long dark tunnel of European car sales will by now have realised it was a high speed train coming the other way: “There is no light at the end of the tunnel for car manufacturers as car sales continue to freefall in Europe,” said KPMG’s UK Head of Automotive, John Leech.

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Airbags: another recall, but what’s the real problem?

Automotive World — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:45:24 +0000

BY IAN HENRY, AUTOANALYSIS. Recent media coverage of the airbag recall focused on the seriousness of this fault, and whether it would lead to a mass move of consumers away from the affected Japanese brands.

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Euro VI Dominates Discussions At CV Show 2013

Automotive World — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:30:03 +0000

BY OLIVER DIXON. Last week’s CV Show at Birmingham in the UK represented one of the few occasions available this year for a general discussion of the implications of Euro VI, the implementation of which is now due in less than nine months’ time

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GM confirms commitment to Europe with hard cash

Automotive World — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:35:39 +0000

BY IAN HENRY, AUTOANALYSIS. GM used its recent board meeting in Ruesselsheim - attended by key senior US managers - to confirm its commitment to Europe, and to announce a €4bn (US$5.2bn) investment in Opel/Vauxhall in the period to 2016.

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Fuel Economy Progress Running Low

Automotive World — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:01:56 +0000

FRANCOIS CUENOT, GFEI. The industry is currently witnessing an unprecedented expansion of the global car fleet, not in developed economies as one might expect, but in the emerging, non-OECD vehicle markets. This is posing an important challenge for fuel economy: worldwide, the car fleet is predicted to triple by 2050, with over 80% of that growth expected in developing powers. Of course, this expansion has repercussions both for the environment and the economy.

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OEM Consolidation Helps Growth Amid Slowing Indian Demand

Automotive World — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:01:43 +0000

BY RIDDHIMA SAXENA AND SAVITHA KRAMAN, MERGERMARKET. Growth of the passenger car segment in India, is witnessing a gradual decline, triggered by rising inflation, high cost of debt, and poor monsoons, which in turn have impacted consumer spending.

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Recovery Of Brazilian HCV Sector On Its Way

Automotive World — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:01:07 +0000

BY JULIAN SEMPLE, CARCON. Brazil’s heavy commercial vehicle sector, including trucks and buses, faced a troubled 2012, contracting by a massive 19.3% to 167,400 vehicles, despite the total industry - including cars and light commercial vehicles - expanding by 4.6% to 3.8 million vehicles.

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