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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Daimler To Restart German Factories From April 20

    Daimler To Restart German Factories From April 20

    Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler said Wednesday it plans to restart work at factories in Germany from April 20, after a weeks-long interruption due to the coronavirus pandemic. “In a few selected factories, we are implementing a coordinated restart of production,” the group said in a statement. “From April 20 this will affect the car motor factories in Germany, Mercedes-Benz car factories in Sindelfingen and Bremen and the vans factories.” Truck and bus sites will also open from the same date.

    But Daimler also said that it would extend shorter hours for its German workers until April 30, impacting “the majority of production… as well as administration”.

    In the first quarter, Daimler’s worldwide sales slumped 15 percent year-on-year, with Mercedes-Benz cars alone seeing a 20-percent drop in China and 16 percent in Europe.

    Coronavirus “heavily impacts sales on a global scale,” finance chief Harald Wilhelm said in a conference call Wednesday, adding “the overall economic impact cannot yet be assessed with sufficient certainty”.

    Meanwhile, Volkswagen said Wednesday that it would begin increasing production from April 14 in “a few” factories building car components, which are currently operating at much-reduced capacity.

    Most of the auto behemoth’s sites are closed until at least April 19, but the group wants “to safeguard the supply of components to plants in China” after the Easter weekend.

    “Further details of the mode of operation are expected after Easter” for other components and vehicle sites, VW said.

    Daimler rival BMW said Tuesday that it would extend a production stop until April 30, while Ford’s European factories are on hold until at least May 4.

    Car sales plummeted in several European countries in March as far-reaching restrictions on daily life to limit the spread of the coronavirus bit.

    Experts expect still-worse performance in April, while rating agency Moody’s forecast a 14-percent contraction in the global car market for 2020 as a whole.

    But the picture is brightening in Asia, with “significant growth in demand” in China and South Korea, Mercedes-Benz sales director Britta Seeger said in a statement.

    BMW also sees “first signs of a rebound” in China, sales chief Pieter Nota said Tuesday.

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  • Toyota Extends North American Plant Shutdown

    Toyota Extends North American Plant Shutdown

    Toyota Motor said Wednesday it plans to reopen its North American auto plants on May 4, extending its current shutdown by two additional weeks.

    The Japanese automaker cited the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and decline in vehicle demand to extend the halt of production at all of its automobile and components plants in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

    Toyota will not furlough its direct employees but has asked its hourly plant employees to take two days out of the 10-day extension as paid time off or they can go without pay if they don’t have accrued leave.

    The Toyota Vellfire is a luxurious MPV and is the perfect vehicle for celebrities, movie stars and the likes. It is full-sized panel van and it is loaded with all sorts of creature comforts. We spent a scant amount of time with the new Vellfire an…

    For Toyota’s 5,000 workers provided by outside agencies, Toyota is releasing those workers back to their agencies. Toyota will continue to pay the benefits of those workers for the time being, and they may be eligible for unemployment.

    On Tuesday, Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co on Tuesday said they had furloughed thousands of workers at their U.S. operations as the coronavirus pandemic slashes demand for cars in the country.

    A spokesman for Honda, which employs about 18,400 workers at plants in Alabama, Indiana and Ohio, said the Japanese automaker would guarantee salaries through Sunday, has suspended operations on March 23. The plants will be closed through May 1.

    Nissan said it was temporarily laying off about 10,000 U.S. hourly workers effective April 6. It has suspended operations at its U.S. manufacturing facilities through late April due to the impact of the outbreak.

    Automakers are facing a dramatic drop in sales in the United States, the world’s second-largest car market after some states barred dealers from selling new cars while “stay-at-home” orders are in place. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Monday extended its shutdown of U.S. and Canadian plants until May 4.

  • European Motorcycle Industry Appeals For Extension Of Euro 5 Deadline

    European Motorcycle Industry Appeals For Extension Of Euro 5 Deadline

    The global motorcycle industry has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus outbreak. In Europe, brands like Ducati, KTM, BMW and MV Agusta have all halted production in the battle against the COVID-19 outbreak. A few European motorcycle brands are citing supply chain slowdowns and retail shutdowns, in order to justify delaying the Euro 5 emission standards by as much as six months, or up to even a year. From January 1, 2021, every new motorcycle sold in the European Union will have to comply with the Euro 5 regulations.

    The European motorcycle industry association, ACEM, is working on possible solutions but has also appealed for an extension of the Euro 5 deadline. The ACEM has reportedly started pushing the EU to postpone the final adoption date of Euro 5 by a full 12 months, giving manufacturers, as well as dealers, another year to clear stock of Euro 4 models and prepare their Euro 5 successors. In a statement, the ACEM said that it has pushed for the delay in the deadline.

    “The ongoing pandemic o 5 models. This disruption, in addition to virus containment measures taken in factories, has led to a near-complete standstill of the industry in many countries. The recent lock-down and stringent measures to contain the pandemic have also paralyzed motorcycle retail business activity. This is progressively affecting all European markets, creating unsettling uncertainties for the motorcycle sector. The COVID-19 crisis is placing dealerships, most of which are small family-run operations, under extreme financial hardship. Immediate cash flow concerns will need to be addressed through support measures in every impacted country.

    “Against this background, the motorcycle industry urgently calls on the European Commission and national administrations to swiftly adopt all necessary measures to help the sector come through this unprecedented crisis. The motorcycle sector is ready to work with all policymakers to achieve this aim, protecting the 300,000 jobs linked to this industry.”

    Unlike the BS6 regulations in India, in Europe, manufacturers have been given a lot of time, with the deadlines chalked out well in advance, with the final implementation laid out in 2013. But now it seems that a lot of modern motorcycles have yet to be approved to meet the Euro 5 standards. Some of those motorcycles will need minor updates, but others will need to be completely revamped, and in the current situation it appears to be difficult that these models will be allowed to be sold after December 31, 2020

    Many current motorcycle models, across brands like Ducati, BMW, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki still don’t meet the Euro 5 regulations, although some are described as “Euro 5-ready”, meaning they will still need to go through final testing to get the Euro 5 certification. What is clear is that the motorcycle industry across the world will be under pressure, even if, and when, the world moves out of the coronavirus pandemic. So far, it’s still not clear how the European Union will react to pressure to delay the introduction of Euro 5. Either way, the industry will be under pressure and will take several months to make a turnaround, that is certain.

  • Honda, Fiat Chrysler Aim To Restart production in U.S.

    Honda, Fiat Chrysler Aim To Restart production in U.S.

    Honda Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Monday they hope to restart U.S. and Canadian auto production in May amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

    The Japanese automaker halted production on March 23 and said it will extend the halt through May 1.

    Fiat Chrysler said Monday it “intends to progressively restart its U.S. and Canadian manufacturing facilities beginning May 4.”

    U.S. President Donald Trump last week extended the guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus to April 30.

    US auto industry executives say it will be nearly impossible for companies to resume production before the end of the month

    Several U.S. auto industry executives told Reuters on Monday it will be nearly impossible for companies to resume production before the end of the month — and there is no assurance automakers will be able to resume production in early May. Other automakers plan to extend current production halts later this week, automakers told Reuters.

    It will also take auto suppliers time to resume production. In an internal estimate, Ford Motor Co said last week it believed 600,000 U.S. industry auto sales may have been lost in March because of the coronavirus outbreak.

    The threat from the coronavirus crisis closed in on the global auto industry on Thursday, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV warned that a European plant could shut down within two to four weeks if Chinese parts suppliers cannot get back to work.

    Honda noted many consumers are unable to purchase vehicles and said it “must continue to suspend production in order to align product supply with a lack of market demand.” Some states have barred car dealers from selling new cars while “stay at home” order are in place.

    Last week, Nissan Motor Co said it would extend its U.S. production halt into late April. Toyota Motor Corp has halted U.S. and Canadian production through April 17.

    Ford said last week it was postponing its plan to restart production at its North America. Ford had been aiming to resume production at several key U.S. plants on April 14, but then said it would now do so at dates to be announced later. Ford said Monday it is “continuing to assess public health conditions, government guidelines and supplier readiness to determine when the time is right to resume production in our North American plants.”

    General Motors Co has shuttered its plants indefinitely and has not provided a date for vehicle production to restart.

    Automakers are working on additional employee protections to add when they restart, including new personal protective gear, staggering shift starts, more frequent cleanings and new social distancing rules.

    Fiat Chrysler said it will redesign “work stations to maintain proper social distancing and expanding the already extensive cleaning protocols at all locations.”

  • Kia Compact Vehicles Contractor Suspends Production

    Kia Compact Vehicles Contractor Suspends Production

    A South Korean contract manufacturer for Kia Motors’ compact vehicles has suspended production, a company official said on Monday, citing a drop in overseas demand as the coronavirus outbreak has spread across Europe.

    Donghee Auto, which produces Kia’s Picanto and Ray models, has suspended production at its plant in Seosan, South Korea, until April 13, the official said.

    Of the 195,516 Picanto vehicles produced in South Korea last year 73% were exported, mostly to Europe, Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association data shows.

    Hyundai Wia, which produces engines for the Picanto and Ray, also said in a regulatory filing on Monday that it will suspend operations at its plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, from April 6 to April 9.

    Kia did not reply immediately to a request for comment.

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  • Fiat Chrysler Starts Ventilator Component Output In Italy

    Fiat Chrysler Starts Ventilator Component Output In Italy

    Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has begun producing ventilator parts to help Italy’s Siare Engineering boost its output of the medical equipment needed to treat patients during the coronavirus crisis, the carmaker said on Friday.

    Carmakers around the world are ramping up the production of critical healthcare products and machines to respond to the enormous demand during the pandemic.

    Italy, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Europe, had asked Siare to triple its normal monthly production as a part of government efforts to increase the number of intensive care beds.

    FCA said that with the support of luxury group Ferrari and holding company Exor, which controls both carmakers, it had produced the first electro valves, a key part in ventilators, at its plant in Cento, in northern Italy.

    The Cento plant is usually used to produces high-performance car engines for the global market. It had been closed because of the coronavirus but has partially reopened for this project.

    “With the additional supply of electro valves from Cento, Siare estimates that it will be able to reduce total production time for ventilators by as much as 30-50%”, the statement said.

    In addition to the production of the electro valves, a team of specialists from FCA is also working alongside Siare staff at their production facility near the city of Bologna.

    “The objective is to help increase Siare’s total production, with a gradual scaling up of daily output beginning from the first week of April”, FCA said.

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  • Honda Extends North American Auto Plant Shutdowns

    Honda Extends North American Auto Plant Shutdowns

    Honda Motor Co has said that it will extend a shutdown of all U.S. and Canadian auto plant production through April 10 and at its plant in Celaya, central Mexico, until April 13, because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

    Honda’s plant in El Salto in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, will also suspend production operations between April 4 and April 13, Honda’s Mexican unit said.

    Companies all over the world are joining in the battle against coronavirus, helping to make ventilators, face masks and hand sanitizer.

    A growing number of automakers have said they will not restart U.S. production until at least mid-April as demand sharply falls off for auto sales. Honda began its auto production halt on March 23.

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  • Veoneer And Volvo Cars To Split Zenuity Software Joint Venture

    Veoneer And Volvo Cars To Split Zenuity Software Joint Venture

    Geely-owned Volvo Cars and auto tech supplier Veoneer will split their jointly owned software venture Zenuity as the Swedish carmaker focuses on developing autonomous driving software, the companies said on Thursday.

    Volvo and Veoneer said last year they were conducting a strategic review of Zenuity, which develops software for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving, in part due to a wider introduction of self-driving cars being pushed further into the future.

    Under the new agreement, Veoneer will integrate the current Zenuity business focused on ADAS software, while Volvo Cars will set up a new stand-alone company to take over Zenuity’s development and commercialization of unsupervised autonomous drive software.

    Geely Automobile and its sister company Volvo Cars are planning to merge and list in Hong Kong and possibly Stockholm, giving Volvo access to public markets after it dropped a move to list its stock two years ago. Ciara Lee reports

    “This means that we will buy today’s systems (ADAS) from a more traditional supplier relationship, but development-wise we now want to put our focus on the next generation of products,” Volvo Chief Technology Officer Henrik Green told Reuters.

    Volvo’s part of Zenuity will focus on software that will be introduced in the next generation of cars based on Volvo’s SPA2 vehicle architecture platform, starting from around 2022, Green added.

    The agreement will see about 600 of the current 800 Zenuity staff and consultants transfer to the new Volvo Cars-owned company, with the remainder moving to Veoneer.

    Veoneer, which also makes radars and vision systems and expects 90% of its available market to be for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in the next decade, said the move would help it drive its business strategy more effectively.

    The loss-making company said it expected annual savings of around $30 – $40 million from the deal as well as a payment of around $15 million from Volvo Cars, subject to final agreement.

    Shares of Veoneer, which is seeking to cut costs as the coronavirus outbreak makes its path to profitability exceedingly challenging, were up 3.8% by 1020 GMT.

    Analysts at Carnegie said the move was positive for Veoneer, and that its decision to focus on ADAS software was the right one.

    The split was expected to be finalized in the third quarter at the latest, the companies said.

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  • Harley-Davidson Files For Cafe Racer

    Harley-Davidson Files For Cafe Racer

    Harley-Davidson has filed two new designs with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, using the same liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine powering the upcoming Harley-Davidson Pan America and Harley-Davidson Bronx models. The two new designs will be built on the same Revolution Max platform, and one of them will be a cafe racer styled model, and the other a flat track-inspired model. While the design drawings clearly indicate that the engine to be used on both models will be the Revolution Max v-twin, there’s still no indication of what the engine displacement will be.

    Harley-Davidson’s first adventure tourer, the Pan America uses a 1,250 cc version of the Revolution Max v-twin, while the Bronx streetfighter uses a 975 cc version. The Revolution Max v-twin is expected to get four different engine displacements, ranging from 500 cc to 1,250 cc. Prototype photos of both these new designs also surfaced, apparently from a Harley-Davidson dealer conference from September 2019.

    The photos of the prototypes look quite similar to the design drawings, but final production models may be slightly different. From earlier experience, Harley-Davidson design drawings, like the one of the Pan America and Bronx streetfighter, have gone on to be finalized for production. So, we won’t be surprised if the latest drawings also make it to the future model line-up, as Harley-Davidson looks to shake off the “heavyweight cruiser” tag and explore different segments of motorcycles.

    Designs of the flat track-inspired model show a design similar to something that could rival the Indian FTR 1200, with a similar tubular swingarm, as well as flat-track inspired high-mounted twin exhausts. The bike has a similar headlight like the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob, and like the FTR 1200, has a similar-looking rear tire-hugging number plate bracket attached to the swingarm. The bike looks like a single-seater, but Harley-Davidson could offer an aftermarket pillion-friendly seat as well once the bike gets closer to production.

    The second design is a cafe racer styled model, with a short windscreen and cafe racer-styled headlight. The exhaust is a two-into-one design, with the end can coming out on the right side of the bike, The design of the cafe racer shares the dual disc brakes and inverted fork with the flat track design, but the rear has a more traditional swingarm, and twin shock suspension set-up. The H-D Pan America, and the Bronx are yet to go into production, followed by the Custom 1250 cruiser, possibly sometime in 2021. But from these latest designs, it’s apparent that Harley-Davidson, despite the problems the brand is facing, is looking ahead to the future with several new models in the pipeline.

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  • Hyundai’s Global Sales Drops By 21% In March As Coronavirus Hits Demand

    Hyundai’s Global Sales Drops By 21% In March As Coronavirus Hits Demand

    Global sales for Hyundai Motor Co tumbled 21% in March to an 11 year-low for the month as the coronavirus pandemic batters demand and forced several of its overseas plants to suspend production.

    The South Korean automaker reported provisional global sales of 308,503 vehicles for March.

    The top automotive news of the day – Hyundai has launched the 2020 Verna in India. Royal Enfield Meteor 350 spied. Mahindra to manufacture face shield for medical personnel.

    Hyundai Motor closed its Montgomery, Alabama, assembly plant last month after an employee there tested positive for the disease, and also suspended production at plants in the Czech Republic and India over the virus.

    Plants in South Korea are, however, running at close to full capacity.

    Credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service said in a report last month it expects global sales for the auto industry to slide 14% this year. It placed the ratings of Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp on review for a possible downgrade.

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  • Android Auto wireless compatibility arrives in additional markets

    Android Auto wireless compatibility arrives in additional markets

    Android Auto is one of the trickiest products developed by Google. First off, it’s not compatible with all smartphones and some of the features are limited to select markets. Secondary, Android Auto is in a constant state of development, as Google adds and removes features all the time. Sometimes, updates remove features in favor of new ones, which are then brought back a few updates later.

    If you’re one of the many millions of Android Auto users, you’ll be happy to know that Google is expanding the availability of one of its features to additional markets. We’re talking about wireless compatibility, an option that only Android Auto users in about 15 countries were able to use until recently.

    Starting today, Android Auto in 16 countries join the list of markets where wireless compatibility is available. The new feature will allow Android Auto to display information on your vehicle’s display automatically once you start your car via Wi-Fi Direct, assuming you’re using a compatible device.

    Without further ado, here are the countries that are getting Android Auto wireless compatibility this week: Australia, Austria, Germany, France, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and United Kingdom.

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  • Lamborghini’s New V12 Track Car Teased

    Lamborghini’s New V12 Track Car Teased

    Lamborghini working on a track-specific model was known to us, and finally the supercar maker has released a teaser video of its upcoming track-only machine. While the video primarily focuses on its razor-sharp styling and bodywork, we also get a whiff of what the humongous 6.5-litre, V12’s roar will sound like. It has not given much details about the model though, and all we know at this point of time is that it will churn out close to 830 bhp which is mind-boggling.

    As far as the construction is concerned, it sports a roof-mounted intake and a gigantic wing at the rear to generate heavy downforce. There are also dual air inlets on the hood and a detailed look will give away the sharp sculpting on the hood and along with the profile. Though we still can’t see all of it, since it’s just a teaser, the rear too looks muscular with massive haunches and there is a big diffuser sporting dual exhaust outlets.

    Lamborghini’s track division- Squadra Corse had mentioned that the track car will be manufactured in limited numbers and we expect just 40 units of it to roll off the assembly line. Towards the end, the video also hints at a new model which is the Huracan Super Trofeo Omologato (STO) that will be powered by the 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 motor that will belt out close to 640 bhp.

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  • Suzuki To Set-up Automobile Plant In Myanmar

    Suzuki To Set-up Automobile Plant In Myanmar

    Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced that it will be setting up a new manufacturing facility in Myanmar, under its subsidiary Suzuki Thilawa Motor. This will be the company’s third facility in Myanmar and will be located in the Thilawa Special Economic Zone, southeast of Yangon. At present, Suzuki produces the Carry LCV, Ciaz, Ertiga and Swift cars at the existing plants. The new production facility will have provisions for welding, painting and assembling vehicles, and will have a manufacturing capacity of 40,000 vehicles annually.

    Suzuki will be investing about $109 million in the upcoming Myanmar plant and will be ready by September 2021 for operations. The manufacturer first set shop in Myanmar in 1998 as part of a joint venture and has been retailing its range of four-wheelers and two-wheelers from 1999. With a growing economy in the region, the automaker has seen a steady hike in its sales volumes.

    Suzuki produced about 13,300 units in 2019 in Myanmar, a 125 percent year-on-year growth over 2018. Sales, on the other hand, stood at 13,206 units, growing at 128 percent year-on-year. Much like India, the Japanese auto giant is a market leader in the neighboring country and accounts for about 60 percent of the market share in four-wheeler sales.

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  • Coronavirus Sees China’s Geely Automobile Facing One Of Toughest Years

    Coronavirus Sees China’s Geely Automobile Facing One Of Toughest Years

    China’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd said on Monday 2020 may be one of its toughest years yet, as pressure stemming from the coronavirus outbreak on production and sales persists.

    But it said it planned to go ahead with global expansion, despite lower sales and net profit for 2019, when the country’s auto market suffered a slump, even before the novel coronavirus led to lockdowns that have paralyzed economic activity and disrupted supply chains.

    Geely Automobile, based in the eastern province of Zhejiang, is China’s most globally high-profile automaker following investments by parent company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd’s in European manufacturers Volvo Car and Daimler AG.

    China car sales fall 92% as coronavirus keeps buyers home

    Auto sales in China, the world’s largest market, have slumped as coronavirus fears prevent buyers at home.

    The profit announced on Monday of 8.19 billion yuan ($1.15 billion) was lower than the 9.14 billion yuan average estimate by 33 analysts on Refinitiv.

    Its shares closed at 11.28 HKD on Monday, down 4.08% from last Friday.

    “The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus had caused serious disruption to our supply chain and thus our production levels, meaning additional pressure on our business volume and profitability in 2020,” Geely Automobile said in a filing to the Hong Kong exchange.

    Geely Automobile, which plans to roll out 6 new models under the Geely, Lynk&Co and Geometry marques this year, sold 1.36 million cars in 2019. It is maintaining a sales target of 1.41 million cars in 2020.

    The headwinds are likely to persist in the near future, making 2020 probably one of the most difficult years in the group’s 23-year history, Geely said.

    Revenue fell by 9% from the previous year to 97.40 billion yuan. Analysts had estimated 99.43 billion yuan.

    Geely Automobile’s president An Conghui told a conference call the company plans to start selling Lynk&Co in Europe at the end of this year and share more models with Malaysian automaker Proton, in which it has a stake.

    Geely Automobile and Volvo – which Geely’s parent bought from Ford Motor Co in 2010 – are planning to merge and list in Hong Kong and possibly Stockholm.

    The new company would have improved research capabilities, lower cost and brands in different segments, Geely’s chief executive Gui Shengyue said.

    That could help to position it as global automakers pursue alliances to respond better to the cost of meeting tougher emission rules, electrification and autonomous driving.

    The industry worldwide will also be seeking to revive sales as soon as there is a widespread easing of restrictions on movement to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 30,000 people globally.

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