April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

In amplification of the new vehicle sales statistics for the month of April, 2015 – released today for public consumption on the website of the Department of Trade & Industry – the Association commented that domestic new vehicle sales, particularly all categories of commercial vehicle sales, had been affected by the multiplicity and configuration of public holidays during the month. Supported by incentive packages, new car sales had held up relatively well. Continued strong growth in new vehicle exports had continued during the month.

In the event, April 2015 aggregate new vehicle sales at 44 503 units were slightly down from the 46 016 vehicles sold in April last year. Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 44 503 vehicles, an estimated 38 780 units or 87.2% represented dealer sales, 6.3% constituted sales to government, 4.2% to industry corporate fleets and 2.3% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry.

The April, 2015 new car market at 30 184 units reflected a decline of 594 units or a fall of 1.9% compared to the 30 778 new cars sold in April last year. Intense competition in a challenging, difficult tradingenvironment had resulted in incentive packages to promote new vehicle sales. Furthermore, a modestrecovery in the used vehicle market had also been noticed.

Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini buses during April, 2015 at 12 077 units reflected a decline of 774 units or a fall of 6.0% compared to the 12 851 light commercial vehiclessold during the corresponding month last year.

Sales of vehicles in the investment-driven medium and heavy truck segments of the Industry had registered declines. Medium commercial vehicle sales at 777 units and heavy commercial vehicle sales at1 465 units, reflected a fall of 38 units or 4.7% in the case of medium commercials, and a decline of 107 vehicles or a fall of 6.8% in the case of heavy trucks and buses – compared to the corresponding month last year.

Vehicle exports had continued to contribute positively to South Africa’s current account of the balance of payments. Industry new vehicle exports at 23 615 units during April, 2015 had again registered exceptionally strong growth compared to the corresponding month last year rising by 6 813 vehicles or 40.5% relative to the 16 802 export sales in April, 2014.

Vehicle exports for 2015 were on target to improve by around 25% in volume terms to a record export number of about 325 000 for the year.

At this stage, NAAMSA continued to project marginal volume growth in domestic sales based on an assumption of a slight improvement in South Africa’s economic growth rate, relative stability in automotive industry industrial relations, stable interest rates and unchanged credit ratings.

New vehicle industry production would continue to benefit from projected higher export numbers.

[Media from NAAMSA]

Also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

In amplification of the new vehicle sales statistics for the month of April, 2015 – released today for public consumption on the website of the Department of Trade & Industry – the Association commented that domestic new vehicle sales, particularly all categories of commercial vehicle sales, had been affected by the multiplicity and configuration of public holidays during the month. Supported by incentive packages, new car sales had held up relatively well. Continued strong growth in new vehicle exports had continued during the month.

In the event, April 2015 aggregate new vehicle sales at 44 503 units were slightly down from the 46 016 vehicles sold in April last year. Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 44 503 vehicles, an estimated 38 780 units or 87.2% represented dealer sales, 6.3% constituted sales to government, 4.2% to industry corporate fleets and 2.3% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry.

The April, 2015 new car market at 30 184 units reflected a decline of 594 units or a fall of 1.9% compared to the 30 778 new cars sold in April last year. Intense competition in a challenging, difficult tradingenvironment had resulted in incentive packages to promote new vehicle sales. Furthermore, a modestrecovery in the used vehicle market had also been noticed.

Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini buses during April, 2015 at 12 077 units reflected a decline of 774 units or a fall of 6.0% compared to the 12 851 light commercial vehiclessold during the corresponding month last year.

Sales of vehicles in the investment-driven medium and heavy truck segments of the Industry had registered declines. Medium commercial vehicle sales at 777 units and heavy commercial vehicle sales at1 465 units, reflected a fall of 38 units or 4.7% in the case of medium commercials, and a decline of 107 vehicles or a fall of 6.8% in the case of heavy trucks and buses – compared to the corresponding month last year.

Vehicle exports had continued to contribute positively to South Africa’s current account of the balance of payments. Industry new vehicle exports at 23 615 units during April, 2015 had again registered exceptionally strong growth compared to the corresponding month last year rising by 6 813 vehicles or 40.5% relative to the 16 802 export sales in April, 2014.

Vehicle exports for 2015 were on target to improve by around 25% in volume terms to a record export number of about 325 000 for the year.

At this stage, NAAMSA continued to project marginal volume growth in domestic sales based on an assumption of a slight improvement in South Africa’s economic growth rate, relative stability in automotive industry industrial relations, stable interest rates and unchanged credit ratings.

New vehicle industry production would continue to benefit from projected higher export numbers.

[Media from NAAMSA]

Also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

In amplification of the new vehicle sales statistics for the month of April, 2015 – released today for public consumption on the website of the Department of Trade & Industry – the Association commented that domestic new vehicle sales, particularly all categories of commercial vehicle sales, had been affected by the multiplicity and configuration of public holidays during the month. Supported by incentive packages, new car sales had held up relatively well. Continued strong growth in new vehicle exports had continued during the month.

In the event, April 2015 aggregate new vehicle sales at 44 503 units were slightly down from the 46 016 vehicles sold in April last year. Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 44 503 vehicles, an estimated 38 780 units or 87.2% represented dealer sales, 6.3% constituted sales to government, 4.2% to industry corporate fleets and 2.3% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry.

The April, 2015 new car market at 30 184 units reflected a decline of 594 units or a fall of 1.9% compared to the 30 778 new cars sold in April last year. Intense competition in a challenging, difficult tradingenvironment had resulted in incentive packages to promote new vehicle sales. Furthermore, a modestrecovery in the used vehicle market had also been noticed.

Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini buses during April, 2015 at 12 077 units reflected a decline of 774 units or a fall of 6.0% compared to the 12 851 light commercial vehiclessold during the corresponding month last year.

Sales of vehicles in the investment-driven medium and heavy truck segments of the Industry had registered declines. Medium commercial vehicle sales at 777 units and heavy commercial vehicle sales at1 465 units, reflected a fall of 38 units or 4.7% in the case of medium commercials, and a decline of 107 vehicles or a fall of 6.8% in the case of heavy trucks and buses – compared to the corresponding month last year.

Vehicle exports had continued to contribute positively to South Africa’s current account of the balance of payments. Industry new vehicle exports at 23 615 units during April, 2015 had again registered exceptionally strong growth compared to the corresponding month last year rising by 6 813 vehicles or 40.5% relative to the 16 802 export sales in April, 2014.

Vehicle exports for 2015 were on target to improve by around 25% in volume terms to a record export number of about 325 000 for the year.

At this stage, NAAMSA continued to project marginal volume growth in domestic sales based on an assumption of a slight improvement in South Africa’s economic growth rate, relative stability in automotive industry industrial relations, stable interest rates and unchanged credit ratings.

New vehicle industry production would continue to benefit from projected higher export numbers.

[Media from NAAMSA]

Also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

In amplification of the new vehicle sales statistics for the month of April, 2015 – released today for public consumption on the website of the Department of Trade & Industry – the Association commented that domestic new vehicle sales, particularly all categories of commercial vehicle sales, had been affected by the multiplicity and configuration of public holidays during the month. Supported by incentive packages, new car sales had held up relatively well. Continued strong growth in new vehicle exports had continued during the month.

In the event, April 2015 aggregate new vehicle sales at 44 503 units were slightly down from the 46 016 vehicles sold in April last year. Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 44 503 vehicles, an estimated 38 780 units or 87.2% represented dealer sales, 6.3% constituted sales to government, 4.2% to industry corporate fleets and 2.3% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry.

The April, 2015 new car market at 30 184 units reflected a decline of 594 units or a fall of 1.9% compared to the 30 778 new cars sold in April last year. Intense competition in a challenging, difficult tradingenvironment had resulted in incentive packages to promote new vehicle sales. Furthermore, a modestrecovery in the used vehicle market had also been noticed.

Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini buses during April, 2015 at 12 077 units reflected a decline of 774 units or a fall of 6.0% compared to the 12 851 light commercial vehiclessold during the corresponding month last year.

Sales of vehicles in the investment-driven medium and heavy truck segments of the Industry had registered declines. Medium commercial vehicle sales at 777 units and heavy commercial vehicle sales at1 465 units, reflected a fall of 38 units or 4.7% in the case of medium commercials, and a decline of 107 vehicles or a fall of 6.8% in the case of heavy trucks and buses – compared to the corresponding month last year.

Vehicle exports had continued to contribute positively to South Africa’s current account of the balance of payments. Industry new vehicle exports at 23 615 units during April, 2015 had again registered exceptionally strong growth compared to the corresponding month last year rising by 6 813 vehicles or 40.5% relative to the 16 802 export sales in April, 2014.

Vehicle exports for 2015 were on target to improve by around 25% in volume terms to a record export number of about 325 000 for the year.

At this stage, NAAMSA continued to project marginal volume growth in domestic sales based on an assumption of a slight improvement in South Africa’s economic growth rate, relative stability in automotive industry industrial relations, stable interest rates and unchanged credit ratings.

New vehicle industry production would continue to benefit from projected higher export numbers.

[Media from NAAMSA]

Also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

April vehicle sales affected by public holidays

Tesla Motors is Still Waiting for a Profit—Even as It Brings Property Record Initial-Quarter 2015 Sales

Tesla’s record 1st quarter comes with sales numbering 10,030 and a celebratory sales ban from West Virginia. Today, the Property of Musk (Elon, that is, not body odor) mentioned sales for the duration of the past 3 months have been its highest ever, adding that it saw a 55-percent year-over-year boost. Tesla also mentioned it would release sales 3 days after each quarter instead of waiting 40 days to publish them in its required 10-Q SEC filings, despite the fact that it still refuses to give out monthly sales numbers like every other publicly-traded automobile business.

So where does Tesla Motors go from here? The company expects to sell 55,000 vehicles this year, including in that quantity sales of the nonetheless-not-on-sale Model X that is nevertheless operating about prototype guise. That 55K figure is way, way up from the 31,000 vehicles Tesla moved final year. Because Model S production began in July 2012, the company has sold 66,798 of the electric sedans worldwide through March 31. Only 1350 cars have been purchased on a lease last year the rest were straight money or finance.

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None of that satisfied talk—nor the $ 216 million in zero-emission credits Tesla sold to rival automakers—has helped Tesla net an actual profit. Final year, Tesla lost $ 294 million, compared to $ 74 million in 2013 and $ 396 million in 2012. Shares closed these days at $ 191, down 13 % given that the start off of the year and a number of elevator flights under September’s record higher of $ 291. We’ll get a fuller monetary picture when Tesla files its very first-quarter report in mid-May, but in the meantime, you can bet the company is busy functioning to bring the Model X to market—and studying techniques to capture these evasive profits.

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Tesla Motors is Still Waiting for a Profit—Even as It Brings Property Record Initial-Quarter 2015 Sales

Hilux propels Toyota to Top Spot in Vehicle sales in March

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• Toyota leads vehicle sales in March


• Hilux is SA’;s best-seller

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Market segment	March 2014	March 2015	% change
Passenger vehicles	36,644	35,548	-3%
Light commercial vehicles	15,933	16,808	5.5%
Medium commercial vehicles	1,015	1,104	8.8%
Heavy commercial vehicles	485	578	19%
Extra Heavy commercial vehicles	1,261	1,306	3.5%
Bus	102	105	2.9%
Vehicle exports	24,659	34,147	38.5%
Overall market (local)	55,440	55,449	0%

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Toyota once again posted the best sales performance in March, garnering a dominant 20% market share, to further entrench its leading position in the SA automotive sales race.

The long-term market leader delivered 11,047 new vehicles during March, driven by a healthy demand for Hilux which once again took top honours as SA’;s best-seller with a total of 3,625 units sold for the month (31% of the 1-ton bakkie segment); 518 units ahead of its  closest rival. Other top performers from the brand include the Corolla/Quest combination, holding the C-segment lead at 37% with 1,745 units sold; while the Fortuner secured its Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) segment leader position with close to 900 units finding a home during March.

On the Truck front, Hino South Africa celebrated a record sales month with 523 Hino and Dyna trucks being sold – this translates into 16,9% share in the overall truck market and an exceptional performance in the Medium Commercial Vehicle (MCV) segment where the brand boasts a  30% market share.

“Our performance up till now proves that Toyota has an even firmer grip on its long-term position as the best-selling automotive brand in the country,” says Calvyn Hamman, Toyota South Africa’;s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “More impressive is the fact that this has been achieved in the face of increased competition, much of which has been directly targeted at Toyota.

“While the increase in the investment-led medium and heavy truck segments which posted gains of 8.8% and 7.6% respectively shows a confidence in the country, the decline in passenger segment shows a level of caution with the wider car-buying public – this can be attributed to uncertainty around fuel prices, interest rate increases and vehicle price increase,” says Hamman, adding that Toyota remain cautiously optimistic about the 630,000 sales forecast for 2015

On the vehicle financing front, March 2015 saw new Toyota finance applications increase by 6% over the 6-month rolling average and 16% month-on-month; while new finance application year to date are up by 8% year-on-year and show and increase of 10% if compared to March 2015.04.02

“Toyota dealer generated finance applications for passenger, LCV and used cars processed by Toyota Financial Services increased 13% month-on-month,” says Marius Burger, CEO of TFS.

Hilux propels Toyota to Top Spot in Vehicle sales in March

2016 Kia Optima Photos and Info: Larger and Optimized for Sales Development

The Kia Optima’s prior full redesign was somewhat shocking. Formerly a forgettable-hunting, cheaper sibling to Hyundai’s Sonata, the Optima abruptly became the hotter of the sisters. Courtesy of ex–Volkswagen Group designer Peter Schreyer, Kia’s household sedan looked like the Passat we could’ve had if VW hadn’t dowdified the thing when it enlarged the vehicle for the American market place. 5 years soon after the final car’s reveal at the New York show, Kia is hoping to maintain the magic going with this all-new model.

The new car is swoopier and probably a tad much more futuristic-looking than the previous model, losing a small bit of its Germanic presence in the update. The larger rear lights appear much more Tokyo than Teutonic, whilst the widened signature “tiger nose” grille suggests some sort of cybernetic unibrow. The greenhouse has much more of a fastback lilt, and the bigger daylight opening suggests much better outward visibility at the cost of the last car’s perfectly contemporary proportions.

Kia claims the new body structure is 150 % stiffer than the outgoing model’s. It also says it has stiffened the wheels, engine mounts, and body panels. The work goes toward each quelling NVH and improving handling. Provided that we had been impressed by the new Sonata’s dynamic improvements, we don’t doubt that Kia has place in time in this arena, as well. Undercarriage upgrades include extra bushings on the subframe mounts, suspension-mounting points moved farther outboard, and larger dual rear reduced control arms. The wheelbase is up by .4 inch, to 110.4, although girth increases by 1 inch. Wheel sizes range from 16 to 18 inches.

Engine alternatives match the Sonata’s, so there’s a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, a 2.-liter turbo 4, and a 1.6-liter turbo 4. The initial 2 are paired with a 6-speed automatic, while the 1.6 matches up to Hyundai/Kia’s 6-speed dual-clutch. Kia hasn’t finalized output numbers, but it estimates 185 hp and 178 lb-ft from the 2.4, 247 hp and 260 lb-ft from the 2.0T, and 178 hp and 195 lb-ft from the 1.6.

Inside, the interior gets genuine stitching along the dash and doors—something that’s frequently simulated at this price point. Kia also touts focus paid to seat comfort, crediting improvement in that location to a stiffer frame and denser, much more supportive foam. Heated and ventilated energy-adjustable front chairs are offered. Depending on trim level—the roster is LX, LX Turbo, EX, SX, SX Turbo, and SXL—seating surfaces are covered in cloth, leather, or uplevel nappa leather. Because the mid-1980s are back, the new vehicle offers dark aubergine and merlot among its interior-colour options.

Kia’s Uvo infotainment method now has massive-brother systems for teen drivers, including geofencing, speed alert, curfew alert, and “driving score.” Germane to adult and teen drivers alike, the new Optima is the first Kia to function each Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. Streamed tunes can be bumped by means of a 630-watt Infinity technique with 14 speakers.

Other electronic company contains a suite of offered driver aids such as a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic braking. These may possibly help maintain your new Optima in 1 piece. The auto now can be fitted with active, HID headlamps, as nicely as automatic higher beams.

Offered that the Optima’s slight aesthetic downgrade isn’t the backward stylistic step that the Sonata took, and provided that we anticipate the Hyundai’s all round dynamic and comfort improvements to be generally mirrored by the Kia, the sexier sib remains the a lot more desirable of the pair. Now if they’d only deign to give us a Sportspace-looking wagon variant . . .

View Pictures View Pictures

2016 Kia Optima Photos and Info: Larger and Optimized for Sales Development

Wesbank forecasts vehicle sales will remain flat in 2015

South Africa’s new vehicle sales are anticipated to hit a ceiling, with year-on-year growth of only 0.87% expected in 2015. WesBank shared its forecast for the performance of the motor industry in 2015, at the recent SAGMJ WesBank Car Of The Year banquet.

“Growth of passenger car sales seem to have hit a sort of artificial ceiling,” says Simphiwe Nghona, executive head of WesBank’s motor division. “Any increase from current levels will only be possible in an environment where the GDP of the country expands at much higher levels.”

Sales in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment are expected to see the highest growth, at 3%, as consumers substitute passenger cars with LCVs and businesses replace their fleets. Medium and heavy commercial vehicles sales – although a smaller contributor – should improve marginally, at 1.1%.

The current high sales volumes in the passenger car segment were achieved with exponential growth during the post-recession recovery period. But this year passenger car sales levels, which are still respectably high, will remain unchanged compared to 2014. Additionally, the lack of growth in this large segment will limit the overall impact of positive sales prospects in LCV and other commercial vehicle segments.

Prevailing low interest rates continue to drive sales confidence for both consumers and dealers. Marketing incentives from manufacturers are also helping to drive sales – these include trade-in assistance and cash-back packages, both of which help cover the shortfall when consumers choose to trade in vehicles. And while overall household debt levels are still at high levels, the last 18 months have seen a consistent decline – a sign that consumers are experiencing an easing of pressure on their budgets.

However, depreciation of the Rand continues to have an obvious and direct effect on the vehicle sales. Last year new car price inflation exceeded CPI, and after a small reprieve fuel prices are on the rise again. The knock-on economic effects of a weaker currency will lead to higher living costs, ultimately affecting consumers’ budgets and how soon – if at all – they will be in the market for a new car.

Buyers who do find themselves in the car market may also opt for a pre-owned vehicle. The increasing shift to used is a result of consumers knowing they can get better value for their money if they forego the luxury of a new car.

“Overall, our vehicle sales forecast for 2015 is characterised by a market in which the positive and negative factors even out,” said Nghona. “Notwithstanding the low expectation of growth, sustaining activity at these levels in current economic conditions would be a positive.”

In 2014 WesBank forecast that passenger vehicle sales would decline 2%, with total industry sales down by 0.6%. With weak performances in April and May, and industry sales down by 5.2% at the end of the first half, it looked unlikely for that forecast to be achieved. But a strong sales recovery in the second half of the year realigned the market. Passenger car sales ended at -2.46%, while the industry total for 2014 ended down 0.74%.

Wesbank forecasts vehicle sales will remain flat in 2015

Positive February vehicle sales ahead of fuel price increases

2 March 2015: February’s total new vehicle sales have grown 1.1%, year-on-year, according to the newest data from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa.

Passenger car sales are up 1.5%, year-on-year, with the segment selling 34 909 cars in total. Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales are up 1.8%, at 15 139 units, however growth in this segment has slowed compared to performance in previous months.

The marginal increase in sales can be attributed to a continued appetite for credit. WesBank’s data shows that vehicle finance applications are up 12.7%, year-on-year. Of this, new vehicle finance applications saw growth of 7.6% compared to February last year. However, the bulk of growth in credit applications are for used vehicles, which saw growth of 15.3%.

“Affordability still remains key for new vehicle sales and buyers either buying down, or considering their options in the used market,” said Rudolf Mahoney, head of research at WesBank.

WesBank’s data shows that sales of entry-level vehicles have grown substantially over the last 12 months. In February 2014, A-segment (entry level) vehicles accounted for 22% of total passenger vehicle sales, while in February 2015 the same segment accounted for 30% of sales.

Buyers’ budgets will continue to be under pressure from March, onwards. Fuel prices are set to increase at least 17% over the next 2 months, with a 96c/litre increase for 93 octane (at the reef), and an additional 80.5c/litre fuel levy being added to the price in April.

“The upcoming increases in the fuel price represent a big percentage of motorists’ monthly mobility costs, and consequently directly impacts their monthly budget,” said Mahoney. “Should oil prices continue to normalise, and the rand fails to improve, higher mobility costs will continue to put more onus on affordability.”

About WesBank:

WesBank is acknowledged as the leader in Vehicle and Asset Finance with over 40 years’ experience and R115 billion in assets currently under management. WesBank focuses on providing secured finance to both the retail and corporate markets, as well as related services such as insurance, fleet management and full maintenance rental. WesBank is the partner of choice for over 60 leading international brands in fields such as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), insurance providers and oil companies. WesBank is a global company with successful operations throughout Africa as well as the UK.

Positive February vehicle sales ahead of fuel price increases

Excellent News, Poor News for GM: Recalls Cut 2014 Income by More Than Half—But Sales Are Rockin’

Basic Motors coasted by way of 2014 with a $ 2.8 billion net profit and record international sales of more than 9.9 million cars and trucks.

Also negative GM broke another record: for most recalls ever in a single year. Otherwise it would have made one more $ 3.5 billion. That is what the business spent on much more than 80 recall campaigns totaling some 36 million vehicles. And that does not incorporate the $ 315 million hit it expects to take on the ignition-switch settlement fund, which so far has counted 51 deaths and has paid out $ 93 million.

But hey, the ceaseless waves of recall news in 2014 didn’t quit Americans from taking residence a lot more than 2.9 million GM autos, a 5.3-% achieve more than 2013. And when it comes to money, GM has lots of that, as well: $ 3 billion in cash or “cash equivalents” and one more $ 5.3 billion in credit it can draw upon immediately.

Yes, GM is under investigation by 49 states, the Department of Justice, and has individuals virtually banging on the Renaissance Center’s glass for billions worth of potential legal damages, but none of that has hit property but and almost everything is peachy.

It’s so excellent, in fact, that GM sales had been up 18.3 percent last month versus January 2014. New Escalades are flying out the door at more than double final year’s price Chevrolet recorded its greatest retail sales month considering that 2008 and GMC had its ideal since 2004. Much better however, according to J.D. Power people are spending $ 2400 much more on a GM car this year than they did final (the typical transaction price tag is $ 34,800).

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GM is off to yet another rocket launch of a year, but the automaker possibly wants to preserve in thoughts the old adage: Keep your clients close and your lawyers closer.

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Excellent News, Poor News for GM: Recalls Cut 2014 Income by More Than Half—But Sales Are Rockin’

How Alfa Hopes to go From Zero to Sales Hero in the U.S. by 2018

The last time Alfa Romeo sold a mainstream car in the U.S. was 1995. A lot has changed since then in the luxury market, a reality that Alfa will have to reckon with as it plans to more than quadruple global sales to 400,000 by 2018 and ramp up North American sales from (effectively) nothing to 150,000 units per year. That would put Alfa roughly on par with where Audi is in the U.S. today, which means Alfa needs more cars, more dealers, a couple of SUVs, and buckets of money.

Fiat-Chrysler has committed to spending $ 6 billion by 2018 on its lagging Italian luxury marque, which today offers 2 hatchback models in Europe plus the 2-seat 4C sportster, none of which are prescriptions for sales volume in the U.S. That will begin to change with a mid-size sedan to debut this June 24 at the reopening of the new Alfa Romeo museum in Milan, Italy, and go on sale sometime in 2016.

The as-yet unnamed car, about the size of a BMW 3-series and with similar pricing, debuts Fiat-Chrysler’s new Giorgio platform, a premium rear-drive component set with its own family of gasoline and diesel engines that will be a workhorse for Alfa. “To have credibility in this market, you can’t mix in mass-market components,” said Alfa’s new U.S. president and CEO, Reid Bigland. “Nobody is going to want to buy an Alfa Romeo made out of a mass-market car.”

With a north-south powertrain and a joint Italian-American design team based in Milan, Giorgio is a rear-drive architecture that has the flexibility for all-wheel-drive, a likely option on the sedan and a certainty on a derivative SUV that will appear within a year. That vehicle will take on the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and other luxury ute competitors. Beyond that, Alfa is said to have a future product portfolio that includes 8 vehicles, one of will be a compact SUV along the lines of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1.

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At the Detroit auto show, Bigland and Alfa-Maserati global director Harald Wester described a “pragmatic” approach to reestablishing Alfa. That involves targeting new products at the luxury segments where there’s the most volume, taking advantage of unused capacity at existing plants in Italy, and more than doubling the U.S. dealer count from its current 100 stores by mixing sales points with both Fiat and Maserati showrooms and also establishing some stand-alone Alfa Romeo dealerships. The initiative will concentrate, at least initially, on the Sunshine Belt running down both coasts of the U.S., plus Texas.

Bigland and Wester were tight on the details before the June debut of the new car, but Bigland did say that in the U.S., Alfa will likely stick with gasoline and that diesels are a low priority.

How Alfa Hopes to go From Zero to Sales Hero in the U.S. by 2018

Money on the Battery? BMW Hopes to Jumpstart Slow i3 EV Sales in Germany

November 12, 2014 at 6:16 pm by Jens Meiners | Photography by Robert Kerian

When BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer announced final year that “What the mobile telephone did for communication, electric mobility will do for individual mobility” and board member Peter Schwarzenbauer proclaimed that “never ahead of has the BMW Group been so proud to present a auto to the world” at the i3 launch, we weren’t skeptical, per say, merely unsurprised. What else would you count on a company that’s invested billions into a pair of new electric cars—the i3 and the i8—to say? A year on, BMW has assured us that the i vehicles are “selling properly,” but that might not be the case in Germany.

According to a report by kfz-betrieb, a newspaper that keeps extremely close ties to the automobile dealers in Germany, the i3 is not faring as effectively in its home market place as it is abroad. Right after 9 months of sales, dealers have sold just half of the autos they had been told to move. These figures even include sales delivered during the i3’s initial hype a dealer who requested anonymity for fear of repercussions has stated that the honeymoon period is most definitely more than.

Dealers have been capable to sell 1900 units considering that the starting of the year, a third of which came with the optional gasoline-fueled variety extender, says kfz-betrieb. That’s woefully short of the 5000 to 6000 units the 43 German “i agents” are supposed to sell ahead of the end of the year. This September has been the most disappointing month so far, with only 131 i3s discovering new properties. BMW is blaming long shipping instances of up to 6 months for the weak sales. “Dealers say they could sell a lot more automobiles than allocated,” Reithofer lately claimed, but as Kfz-betrieb notes: “He did not say which dealers.”

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Internal bickering aside, BMW is resorting to unconventional techniques to jumpstart sales and providing potential German customers an i3 for €555 ($ 692) a month. That price involves a full collision waiver and a whopping 3333 kilometer (2071 miles) allotment. If the customer bites and outright purchases the vehicle, the original fees are reimbursed. It’s an fascinating strategy, one that nicely avoids conventional incentive measures like money on the hood, and we’ll be watching to see how it shakes out—who knows, if a comparable sales dilemma befalls BMW in other markets where the i3 is sold, this method could someday escape Germany.

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Money on the Battery? BMW Hopes to Jumpstart Slow i3 EV Sales in Germany

October 2014 vehicle sales: new car sales show resilience driven by 1.6% growth year on year in passenger vehicles sales

“Despite a poor economic outlook, new car sales continue to show resilience driven by 1.6% growth year on year in passenger vehicles sales. This is driven by new model launches, incentive packages  and pre-emptive buy to avoid car price increases. Despite the new car sales growth, an increasing number of buyers continue to seek value in the used car market, which has also seen a positive growth of 8.1% month on month.”

General Comments on October 2014 NAAMSA sales:

• The month of October 2014 experienced a 2.36% decrease in sales compared to September 2014.


• Month on Month Passenger vehicles declined by 5.24% while Light Commercial Vehicles increased by 4.42%.


• Year on Year monthly comparison shows an increase of 4.90% in October 2014 compared to October 2013.


• Year to date (January – October 2014) comparisons shows that vehicle sales are down by 1.83% in the first 10 months of the year when compared to last year.


• Month on month Exports increased in October 2014 (4.49%) with Passenger vehicles decreasing by -5.95% and Light Commercial Vehicles growing by 22.17%.


• Year on year monthly comparison shows an improvement in exports of 32.97% in October 2014 compared to October 2013.


• AMH & AAD decreased in October 2014, 6.44% month on month.

General Comments on October 2014 Standard Bank VAF Personal Applications:

• In October 2014 applications for both new and used vehicles experienced positive month on month growth, 7.1% and 8.0% respectively.


• Applications in both Passenger (8.1%) and Light Commercial vehicles (5.7%) had positive month on month growth in October 2014.


• The number of applications with RV’s increased by 12.4% month on month while the number of applications with deposits increased by 3.4% month on month.


• The Average Contract Term on applications increased from 67 months to 69 months (October 2013 to October 2014), year on year growth of 3.0%.


• The average application size increased from R189 818 in October 2013 to R211 704 in October 2014, a 11.5% year on year increase.

General Comments on October 2014 Standard Bank VAF Personal New Business:

• In October 2014 new business experienced positive month on month growth in both new (25.5%) and used (22.1%) vehicle markets.


• Passenger vehicles and Light Commercial vehicles both had positive month on month growth, 28.6% and 24.6% respectively.


• New business deals with deposits increased month on month by 10.0% and declined by 25.5% year on year.


• New business deals with RVs increased month on month by 37.9% and 43.9% year on year.


• The Average Contract Term increased from 65 months in October 2013 to 67 months in October 2014 (3.4% year on year growth).


• The average deal size increased from R262 100 in October 2013 to R307 465 in October 2014, a 17.3% year on year increase.

General Macro and Industry Comments:

• The SARB left the repo rate unchanged at 5.75% following its September MPC meeting. The outcome was in line with the industry’s forecast. According to Standard Bank this was based on the SARB’s revised forecasts for headline inflation.


• Headline CPI annual inflation rate in September 2014 was 5.9%. This rate was 0.5 of a percentage point lower than the corresponding annual rate of 6.4% in August 2014.


• The transport index decreased by 1.5% between August 2014 and September 2014. The annual rate decreased to 6.9% in September 2014 from 7.1% in August 2014.


• SARB’s growth was revised lower, from 1.7%, 2.9% and 3.2% y/y in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively to 1.5%, 2.8% and 3.1%. Standard Bank expects GDP for 2015 and 2016 to continue to disappoint to the downside. The SARB has lowered its growth forecast for 2014 successively at each of the last 6 meetings (starting from 3.3% at the September 2013 meeting).


• Year to date petrol prices have dropped by 2.8% (inland) and diesel by 7.9% (inland).


• The price of Petrol will drop by 45 cents per litre from the 5^th of November 2014 while the price of diesel will go down between 60 and 61 cents per litre.

[Comments by Nicholas Nkosi – Head of Standard Bank Vehicle and Asset Finance - Personal Markets]

For more info on buying a vehicle also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

;

October 2014 vehicle sales: new car sales show resilience driven by 1.6% growth year on year in passenger vehicles sales

Vehicle sales numbers surprise in September despite challenging economic environment

“Despite the surprisingly better than expected sales results for September, the fundamentals have not changed, the economic outlook is still not looking positive, the rand continues to weaken which will undoubtedly continue to drive above-inflation new car increases. As expected, the export market continues to outshine the rest of the industry and this trend will continue for the remainder of 2014.”

 

General Comments on September 2014 NAAMSA sales:

• The month of September 2014 experienced a 9.26% increase in sales compared to August 2014.


• Month on Month only Passenger (13.10%) and Light Commercial Vehicles (1.70%) experienced positive growth.


• Year on Year monthly comparison shows an increase of 11.51% in September 2014 compared to September 2013.


• Year to date (January – September 2014) comparisons shows that vehicle sales are down by -2.5% in the first 9 months of the year when compared to last year.


• Month on month Exports decreased in September (-6.7%) with Passenger vehicles increasing by 13.8% and Light Commercial Vehicles growing by 42.1%.


• Year on year monthly comparison shows an improvement in exports of 257.9% in September 2014 compared to September 2013.


• AMH & AAD saw an increase in September 2014, 6.3% month on month.

General Comments on September 2014 Standard Bank VAF Personal Applications:

• In September 2014 applications for new vehicles experienced negative month on month growth of -1.1% while applications for used vehicles had negative month on month growth of -2.9%.


• Year on year monthly comparison on applications shows a decline in both new (-34.0%) and used (-1.4%) vehicle market applications in September 2014 compared to September 2013.


• Applications in both Passenger Vehicles (-2.5%) and Light Commercial Vehicles (-2.3%) in the Personal market had negative month on month growth in September 2014.


•  Year on year monthly comparison shows positive growth for both Passenger Vehicles (0.8%) while Light Commercial Vehicles had negative growth (-3.1%) in September 2014.


• The proportion of applications with RV’s increased to 19.7% in September 2014 from 19.2% in August 2014. However, month on month applications with RV’s declined by 2.0%.


• The proportion of applications with deposits decreased to 33.3% in September 2014 from 39.2% in August 2014. Applications with deposits declined by -17.0% month on month.


• The Average Contract Term on applications increased from 67.0 months to 68.5 months (September 2013 to September 2014), year on year growth of 2.4%.


• The average application size increased from R189 755 in September 2013 to R209 865 in September 2014, a 10.6% year on year increase.

General Comments on September 2014 Standard Bank VAF Personal New Business:

• In September 2014 new business experienced negative month on month growth in new vehicle markets of -12.5% while the used vehicle markets had positive month on month growth of 9.1%.


• New business year on year comparisons shows a decline in both new (-34.3%) and used (-19.6%) vehicle markets in September 2014 compared to September 2013.


• Passenger vehicles had negative month on month growth of -11.5% while Light Commercial vehicles had negative growth of -4.2%.


•  Year on year monthly comparison shows a decline for both Passenger Vehicles (-15.5%) and Light Commercial Vehicles (-18.2%) in September 2014 compared to September 2013.


• The proportion of new business deals with deposits decreased to 43.3% in September 2014 from 45.5% in August 2014 (0.7% month on month decline and -44.1% year on year increase).


• The proportion of new business deals with RV’s stayed the same at 25.6% between August and September 2014. New business deals with RV’s declined month on month by -2.7% and -28.7% year on year.


• The Average Contract Term increased from 64.5 months in September 2013 to 66.2 months in September 2014 (2.7% year on year growth).


• The average deal size increased from R260 966 in September 2013 to R288 606 in September 2014, a 10.6% year on year increase.

General Comments on Standard Bank Personal VAF Book:

• Personal Market book shows new vehicle market decreased from 57.5% in September 2013 to 55.8% in September 2014, while used vehicle market increased from 42.5% in September 2013 to 44.2% in September 2014.


• Passenger Vehicles marginally increased from 89.2% in September 2013 to 88.7% in September 2014 while Light Commercial Vehicles increased from 10.3% in September 2013 to 10.8% in September 2014.

Nicholas Nkosi – Head of Standard Bank Vehicle and Asset Finance – Personal Markets

General Macro and Industry Comments:

• The SARB left the repo rate unchanged at 5.75% following its September MPC meeting. The outcome was in line with the industry’s forecast. According to Standard Bank this was based on the SARB’s revised forecasts for headline inflation.


• Headline annual inflation rate (CPI) in August 2014 was 6,4%.  This rate was 0.1 of a percentage point higher than the corresponding annual rate of 6.3% in July 2014. On average, prices increased by 0.4% between July 2014 and August 2014. Transport index increased by 0.4% between July 2014 and August 2014. The annual rate decreased to 6.1% in August 2014 from 6,9% in July 2014.


• The SARB expects headline CPI inflation to average 6.2% in 2014, falling to 5.7% in 2015 and 5.8% in 2016, as opposed to their forecast in July of 6.3%, 5.9% and 5.6% in the respective years. Inflation was revised lower due to lower expected food and petrol prices.


• The change in the SARB’s outlook for inflation is significant in that they no longer expect inflation to peak in Q4:14, and estimate that the peak has already happened, in Q2:14 at 6.5% y/y.


• In addition, the length of time that the SARB expects inflation to remain outside of the target band has shortened, they expect it will fall below 6.0% in Q1:15 as opposed to in Q2:15.


• Growth was also revised lower, from 1.7%, 2.9% and 3.2% y/y in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively to 1.5%, 2.8% and 3.1%. Standard Bank expects GDP for 2015 and 2016 to continue to disappoint to the downside. The SARB has lowered its growth forecast for 2014 successively at each of the last 6 meetings (starting from 3.3% at the September 2013 meeting).


• Fuel prices have risen by 0.5% in petrol (inland) and dropped by -3.2% in diesel (inland) since Jan 2014 to October 2014. Further, the price of fuel in the country has gone up by 28.8% in petrol and up by 21.2% in diesel since Jan 2012.


• The price of 93 Octane Petrol will be increasing by 2 cents from the 1^st of October 2014. The price of 95 Octane fuel will be decreasing by 5 cents while both grades of Diesel will see a drop of 13 cents.

Fuel Types

• In the month of August 2014, Petrol vehicle sales had negative month on month growth (-5.6%) while Diesel vehicle sales had positive month on month (1.0%).


• Year on Year August 2014 versus August 2013 Petrol vehicles declined by -2.1% while Diesel vehicles declined by -0.1%.


• Year on Year YTD comparison for 2014 shows that Petrol vehicle sales declined by -6.6% while Diesel vehicle sales increased by 0.2%.

Also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

;

Vehicle sales numbers surprise in September despite challenging economic environment

Fuel efficiency drives automobile sales surge

Britons are cutting their motoring fees by investing in fuel-effective automobiles with reduce emissions.

The number of alternatively-fuelled cars – like hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and the Vauxhall Ampera – purchased in the initial 6 months of this year shot up by 51.3% on the very same period in 2013.

And according to the Society of Motor Producers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of pure-electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf have more than doubled – rocketing an outstanding 143.9% year on year.

Let’s take a closer look at what those figures mean…

Exhaustive detail

The SMMT figures reveal that the typical new automobile purchased between April and June this year has CO2 emissions of 125.8g/km, down from134.6g/km at the start of 2012.

That signifies common new car emissions in the UK are heading in the appropriate path to meet a European Union CO2 target of 95g/km by 2020.

We’re nonetheless not as eco as some of our European neighbours, although.

Going Dutch

In the Netherlands, for example, the average new auto bought in 2013 had CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, whilst in Greece and Portugal standard new automobiles put out 111g/km of CO2.

And even if we all switch to fuel-effective automobiles, we nonetheless require to make some huge adjustments to the way we get around to have any real effect on the environment.

Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Atmosphere Agency, mentioned: “Passenger transport still generates a considerable portion of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU so we want to think about much more sustainable transport systems – the auto can not solve all our troubles in the 21st century.”

The government recently announced that a £5 million Clean Vehicle Technology Fund has been made obtainable to 17 neighborhood councils to spend for green technology to be fitted to 1,080 buses, fire engines, ambulances and taxis.

Pump down the volume

Cars with decrease CO2 emissions not only benefit the atmosphere, they also imply substantial savings for drivers.

In fact, decrease operating fees is almost certainly one particular of the primary factors Britons are steering clear of heavily polluting autos in favour of cleaner, greener ones

The typical new auto registered so far this year does 57.4 miles to the gallon, compared to 54.5 for these bought in the very first 3 months of 2012.

According to the SMMT, a standard new loved ones auto these days is some 27% more fuel-effective than one built just 6 years ago.

Fuel speed ahead

The total number of new cars registered in the very first half of 2014 is 1,287,265, up 8.6% on final year. The expanding appetite for fuel-effective cars is clearly driving this statistic.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, mentioned, “Improving economic circumstances have helped the powerful very first half-year efficiency.

“But important to attracting shoppers is the ever-improving efficiency of new vehicles, an crucial issue that is highlighted by the 51.3% improve in alternatively-fuelled car registrations so far this year.”

Charge of the Leaf brigade

Pure electric cars have also turn out to be significantly much more popular.

Some 1,200 Nissan Leafs have been sold in Europe in August alone.

And in the US, more than 3,000 Leafs have been sold in the same period – an enhance of 31.7% on August 2013.

Nissan’s Brendan Jones thinks the car’s success is down to word-of-mouth: “It’s what we get in touch with the ‘cul-de-sac phenomenon.’ After somebody in a neighborhood buys a Leaf, close friends, family members, co-workers and neighbours see the rewards and are sold on the idea of going electric,” he mentioned.

Over to you – would you trade down to a fuel-efficient motor, or get a hybrid or electric, to save on running fees? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter making use of the hashtag #FocusonFuel

Fuel efficiency drives automobile sales surge

Fuel efficiency drives automobile sales surge

Britons are cutting their motoring expenses by investing in fuel-effective vehicles with lower emissions.

The number of alternatively-fuelled vehicles – such as hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and the Vauxhall Ampera – purchased in the first 6 months of this year shot up by 51.3% on the very same period in 2013.

And according to the Society of Motor Makers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of pure-electric automobiles such as the Nissan Leaf have a lot more than doubled – rocketing an incredible 143.9% year on year.

Let’s take a closer look at what these figures mean…

Exhaustive detail

The SMMT figures reveal that the average new car purchased between April and June this year has CO2 emissions of 125.8g/km, down from134.6g/km at the start of 2012.

That indicates standard new automobile emissions in the UK are heading in the correct path to meet a European Union CO2 target of 95g/km by 2020.

We’re nevertheless not as eco as some of our European neighbours, though.

Going Dutch

In the Netherlands, for instance, the typical new automobile bought in 2013 had CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, whilst in Greece and Portugal typical new automobiles put out 111g/km of CO2.

And even if we all switch to fuel-effective cars, we nonetheless want to make some big changes to the way we get around to have any actual impact on the atmosphere.

Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Atmosphere Agency, stated: “Passenger transport nevertheless generates a important element of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU so we require to feel about more sustainable transport systems – the vehicle can’;t resolve all our problems in the 21st century.”

The government not too long ago announced that a £5 million Clean Automobile Technology Fund has been created accessible to 17 nearby councils to pay for green technology to be fitted to 1,080 buses, fire engines, ambulances and taxis.

Pump down the volume

Automobiles with reduce CO2 emissions not only benefit the atmosphere, they also mean significant savings for drivers.

In truth, decrease running charges is probably one particular of the major reasons Britons are steering clear of heavily polluting autos in favour of cleaner, greener ones

The typical new vehicle registered so far this year does 57.4 miles to the gallon, compared to 54.5 for these purchased in the initial 3 months of 2012.

According to the SMMT, a common new family vehicle nowadays is some 27% a lot more fuel-effective than a single built just 6 years ago.

Fuel speed ahead

The total number of new vehicles registered in the 1st half of 2014 is 1,287,265, up 10.6% on last year. The growing appetite for fuel-efficient automobiles is clearly driving this statistic.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, mentioned, “Improving economic conditions have helped the powerful 1st half-year performance.

“But key to attracting shoppers is the ever-improving efficiency of new cars, an crucial element that is highlighted by the 51.3% increase in alternatively-fuelled car registrations so far this year.”

Charge of the Leaf brigade

Pure electric vehicles have also become considerably more well-liked.

Some 1,200 Nissan Leafs had been sold in Europe in August alone.

And in the US, more than 3,000 Leafs were sold in the identical period – an boost of 31.7% on August 2013.

Nissan’s Brendan Jones thinks the car’s accomplishment is down to word-of-mouth: “It’s what we contact the ‘cul-de-sac phenomenon.’ As soon as someone in a neighborhood buys a Leaf, buddies, loved ones, co-workers and neighbours see the benefits and are sold on the concept of going electric,” he mentioned.

More than to you – would you trade down to a fuel-efficient motor, or get a hybrid or electric, to save on operating expenses? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter using the hashtag #FocusonFuel

Fuel efficiency drives automobile sales surge

Fuel efficiency drives auto sales surge

Britons are cutting their motoring expenses by investing in fuel-effective vehicles with reduced emissions.

The quantity of alternatively-fuelled automobiles – which includes hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and the Vauxhall Ampera – purchased in the 1st 6 months of this year shot up by 51.3% on the exact same period in 2013.

And according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of pure-electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf have far more than doubled – rocketing an extraordinary 143.9% year on year.

Let’s take a closer appear at what these figures mean…

Exhaustive detail

The SMMT figures reveal that the average new car purchased in between April and June this year has CO2 emissions of 125.8g/km, down from134.6g/km at the commence of 2012.

That signifies typical new car emissions in the UK are heading in the correct path to meet a European Union CO2 target of 95g/km by 2020.

We’re still not as eco as some of our European neighbours, although.

Going Dutch

In the Netherlands, for instance, the typical new auto purchased in 2013 had CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, whilst in Greece and Portugal common new vehicles put out 111g/km of CO2.

And even if we all switch to fuel-efficient autos, we still need to make some big modifications to the way we get about to have any actual influence on the atmosphere.

Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Atmosphere Agency, said: “Passenger transport still generates a important portion of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU so we need to have to consider about more sustainable transport systems – the car cannot solve all our troubles in the 21st century.”

The government not too long ago announced that a £5 million Clean Automobile Technologies Fund has been produced available to 17 regional councils to pay for green technology to be fitted to 1,080 buses, fire engines, ambulances and taxis.

Pump down the volume

Vehicles with reduced CO2 emissions not only advantage the atmosphere, they also imply considerable savings for drivers.

In reality, reduce running costs is possibly one of the major reasons Britons are steering clear of heavily polluting vehicles in favour of cleaner, greener ones

The average new auto registered so far this year does 57.4 miles to the gallon, compared to 54.5 for these bought in the very first 3 months of 2012.

According to the SMMT, a common new loved ones vehicle these days is some 27% far more fuel-effective than one particular built just 6 years ago.

Fuel speed ahead

The total number of new cars registered in the very first half of 2014 is 1,287,265, up 10.6% on last year. The increasing appetite for fuel-effective automobiles is clearly driving this statistic.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, mentioned, “Improving economic conditions have helped the strong first half-year overall performance.

“But crucial to attracting shoppers is the ever-enhancing efficiency of new cars, an essential factor that is highlighted by the 51.3% enhance in alternatively-fuelled vehicle registrations so far this year.”

Charge of the Leaf brigade

Pure electric automobiles have also turn into considerably much more well-known.

Some 1,200 Nissan Leafs were sold in Europe in August alone.

And in the US, much more than 3,000 Leafs were sold in the exact same period – an boost of 31.7% on August 2013.

Nissan’s Brendan Jones thinks the car’s accomplishment is down to word-of-mouth: “It’s what we call the ‘cul-de-sac phenomenon.’ When an individual in a community buys a Leaf, close friends, family, co-workers and neighbours see the benefits and are sold on the thought of going electric,” he said.

More than to you – would you trade down to a fuel-efficient motor, or get a hybrid or electric, to save on running fees? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter employing the hashtag #FocusonFuel

Fuel efficiency drives auto sales surge

Fuel efficiency drives auto sales surge

Britons are cutting their motoring fees by investing in fuel-effective vehicles with decrease emissions.

The number of alternatively-fuelled autos – such as hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and the Vauxhall Ampera – bought in the initial 6 months of this year shot up by 51.3% on the exact same period in 2013.

And according to the Society of Motor Makers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of pure-electric automobiles such as the Nissan Leaf have more than doubled – rocketing an amazing 143.9% year on year.

Let’s take a closer look at what those figures mean…

Exhaustive detail

The SMMT figures reveal that the typical new car bought between April and June this year has CO2 emissions of 125.8g/km, down from134.6g/km at the start off of 2012.

That means common new auto emissions in the UK are heading in the appropriate direction to meet a European Union CO2 target of 95g/km by 2020.

We’re still not as eco as some of our European neighbours, even though.

Going Dutch

In the Netherlands, for example, the average new automobile purchased in 2013 had CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, although in Greece and Portugal common new cars place out 111g/km of CO2.

And even if we all switch to fuel-effective cars, we nevertheless want to make some large modifications to the way we get around to have any true influence on the atmosphere.

Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Environment Agency, mentioned: “Passenger transport still generates a important component of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU so we need to have to think about a lot more sustainable transport systems – the auto can’;t solve all our troubles in the 21st century.”

The government recently announced that a £5 million Clean Vehicle Technology Fund has been produced available to 17 regional councils to pay for green technology to be fitted to 1,080 buses, fire engines, ambulances and taxis.

Pump down the volume

Automobiles with reduced CO2 emissions not only benefit the environment, they also imply important savings for drivers.

In reality, lower running costs is possibly 1 of the principal factors Britons are steering clear of heavily polluting autos in favour of cleaner, greener ones

The typical new automobile registered so far this year does 57.4 miles to the gallon, compared to 54.5 for these bought in the very first 3 months of 2012.

According to the SMMT, a standard new loved ones car nowadays is some 27% more fuel-efficient than 1 built just 6 years ago.

Fuel speed ahead

The total quantity of new vehicles registered in the 1st half of 2014 is 1,287,265, up 8.6% on final year. The developing appetite for fuel-effective vehicles is clearly driving this statistic.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, stated, “Improving economic conditions have helped the strong initial half-year functionality.

“But important to attracting buyers is the ever-improving efficiency of new cars, an important aspect that is highlighted by the 51.3% boost in alternatively-fuelled vehicle registrations so far this year.”

Charge of the Leaf brigade

Pure electric vehicles have also become a lot a lot more popular.

Some 1,200 Nissan Leafs had been sold in Europe in August alone.

And in the US, more than 3,000 Leafs were sold in the exact same period – an enhance of 31.7% on August 2013.

Nissan’s Brendan Jones thinks the car’s good results is down to word-of-mouth: “It’s what we get in touch with the ‘cul-de-sac phenomenon.’ Once an individual in a neighborhood buys a Leaf, buddies, household, co-workers and neighbours see the advantages and are sold on the notion of going electric,” he mentioned.

More than to you – would you trade down to a fuel-efficient motor, or get a hybrid or electric, to save on operating costs? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter employing the hashtag #FocusonFuel

Fuel efficiency drives auto sales surge

Fuel efficiency drives vehicle sales surge

Britons are cutting their motoring costs by investing in fuel-efficient cars with lower emissions.

The number of alternatively-fuelled vehicles – including hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and the Vauxhall Ampera – bought in the first 6 months of this year shot up by 51.3% on the same period in 2013.

And according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of pure-electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf have more than doubled – rocketing an incredible 143.9% year on year.

Let’s take a closer look at what those figures mean…

Exhaustive detail

The SMMT figures reveal that the average new car bought between April and June this year has CO2 emissions of 125.8g/km, down from134.6g/km at the start of 2012.

That means typical new car emissions in the UK are heading in the right direction to meet a European Union CO2 target of 95g/km by 2020.

We’re still not as eco as some of our European neighbours, though.

Going Dutch

In the Netherlands, for example, the average new car bought in 2013 had CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, while in Greece and Portugal typical new cars put out 111g/km of CO2.

And even if we all switch to fuel-efficient vehicles, we still need to make some big changes to the way we get around to have any real impact on the environment.

Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Environment Agency, said: “Passenger transport still generates a significant part of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU so we need to think about more sustainable transport systems – the car cannot solve all our problems in the 21st century.”

The government recently announced that a £5 million Clean Vehicle Technology Fund has been made available to 17 local councils to pay for green technology to be fitted to 1,080 buses, fire engines, ambulances and taxis.

Pump down the volume

Cars with lower CO2 emissions not only benefit the environment, they also mean significant savings for drivers.

In fact, lower running costs is probably one of the main reasons Britons are steering clear of heavily polluting vehicles in favour of cleaner, greener ones

The average new car registered so far this year does 57.4 miles to the gallon, compared to 54.5 for those bought in the first 3 months of 2012.

According to the SMMT, a typical new family car today is some 27% more fuel-efficient than one built just 6 years ago.

Fuel speed ahead

The total number of new cars registered in the first half of 2014 is 1,287,265, up 10.6% on last year. The growing appetite for fuel-efficient cars is clearly driving this statistic.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “Improving economic conditions have helped the strong first half-year performance.

“But key to attracting consumers is the ever-improving efficiency of new cars, an important factor that is highlighted by the 51.3% increase in alternatively-fuelled vehicle registrations so far this year.”

Charge of the Leaf brigade

Pure electric cars have also become much more popular.

Some 1,200 Nissan Leafs were sold in Europe in August alone.

And in the US, more than 3,000 Leafs were sold in the same period – an increase of 31.7% on August 2013.

Nissan’s Brendan Jones thinks the car’s success is down to word-of-mouth: “It’s what we call the ‘cul-de-sac phenomenon.’ Once someone in a community buys a Leaf, friends, family, co-workers and neighbours see the benefits and are sold on the idea of going electric,” he said.

Over to you – would you trade down to a fuel-efficient motor, or get a hybrid or electric, to save on running costs? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter using the hashtag #FocusonFuel

Fuel efficiency drives vehicle sales surge

Naamsa vehicle sales report for August confirms pressure on domestic passenger vehicle sales

“The domestic passenger vehicle sales will continue to show pressure for the duration of 2014 given interest rates and car price increases which are above inflation. As a result, the expected reduction in the petrol price by 67c a litre on Wednesday will not have any impact on vehicle sales. However, the good news is that the export market will continue to be the star performer in the motor industry given the stability going forward post the wage settlements.”

;

General Comments on August 2014 NAAMSA sales:

• The month of August 2014 experienced a (-3.25%) decrease in sales compared to July 2014.


• Month on Month both Passenger (-4.96%) and Light Commercial Vehicles (-0.88%) experienced negative growth.


• Year on Year monthly comparison shows a decrease of -1.37% in August 2014 compared to August 2013.


• Year to date (January – August 2014) comparisons shows that vehicle sales are down by -4.33% in the first 8 months of the year when compared to last year.


• Month on month Exports increased in August (10.08%) with Passenger vehicles increasing by 31.09% and Light Commercial Vehicles growing by -17.10%.


• Year on year monthly comparison shows an improvement in exports of 18.52% in August 2014 compared to August 2013.


• AMH & AAD saw an increase in August 2014, 26.35% month on month.

General Comments on August 2014 Standard Bank VAF Personal Applications:

• In August 2014 applications for both new and used vehicles experienced negative month on month growth of -11.8% and -8.3%, respectively.


• Year on year monthly comparison on applications shows a decline in both new (-39.3%) and used (-8.5%) vehicle market applications in August 2014 compared to August 2013.


• Applications in both Passenger Vehicles (-9.5%) and Light Commercial Vehicles (-10.5%) in the Personal market had negative month on month growth in August 2014.


•  Year on year monthly comparison shows negative growth for both Passenger Vehicles (-2.2%) and Light Commercial Vehicles (-1.3%) in August 2014.


• The proportion of applications with RV’s stayed at 18.7% in August 2014 (6.3% year on year increase in RV’s).


• The proportion of applications with deposits decreased by -6.3% year on year in August 2014 compared to August 2013.


• The Average Contract Term on applications increased from 66.6 months to 66.8 months (August 2013 to August 2014).


• The average application size increased to R207 612.

Nicholas Nkosi – Head of Standard Bank Vehicle and Asset Finance – Personal Markets

General Comments on August 2014 Standard Bank VAF Personal New Business:

• In August 2014 Personal new business experienced negative month on month growth in both new (-5.5%) and used (-11.6.9) vehicle markets.


• Personal new business year on year comparisons shows a decline in both new (-35.0%) and used (-33.9%) vehicle markets in July 2014 compared to August 2013.


• Passenger vehicles had negative month on month growth of -9% while Light Commercial had positive growth of 1.0%.


•  Personal new business year on year monthly comparison shows a decline for both Passenger Vehicles (-45.3%) and Light Commercial Vehicles (-47.1%) in August 2014 compared to August 2013.

Also view:

Vehicle Finance, Car Insurance and Road Safety

Buying and Selling a Vehicle – Informed decisions and the Vehicle Retailer

;

Naamsa vehicle sales report for August confirms pressure on domestic passenger vehicle sales