Europe will overtake the US in the electric and hybrid cars market, says MarketLine
The hybrid and electric cars market has seen strong growth globally as countries work to meet ambitious CO2 targets, rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.6 per cent. Scandinavian countries such as Sweden will enjoy exceptional growth forecast growth of 27.9 per cent between 2016 and 2021, according to research firm MarketLine.
Slight recovery in June LCV market, but YTD still down
Light commercial vehicle registrations rose by 1.8 per cent in June to 37,349 units. Year to date, the market remains lower than last year by -3.7 per cent with a total of 184,926 units registered in the first six months of 2017, according to the latest SMMT figures.
UK’s online automotive retail outstripping cosmetics and groceries
Automechanika Birmingham 2017 represented the perfect opportunity for the UK’s automotive aftermarket to gather as higher technology vehicles continue to push up turnover by 2.4 per cent in 2016. 800 such companies were present at the Birmingham NEC for this year’s show. The aftermarket accounted for £21.6 billion in turnover – a figure boosted by the presence of the more high tech vehicles on Britain’s road in addition to recent record months in new car registrations. Additionally the increasing demand for digital services has helped to boost the online side of the segment, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which reported the latest figures, states that more car parts, accessories and services are bought online than cosmetics or groceries. Tyres, alongside lubricants and filters, are the most commonly replaced part, and help account for some of the growth in digital sales, though demand for digital devices, including telematics and tyre pressure sensors, has grown fastest. Overall, the SMMT states that the automotive sector makes a contribution to the UK economy of £12.5 billion.
NFDA and ICDP publish ‘Life After Brexit’ discussion paper
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) and ICDP have published ‘Life after Brexit: challenges and opportunities for UK automotive retail’. The discussion paper analyses challenges, outlines priorities and investigates opportunities that are likely to appear for the retail auto industry as the post Brexit situation emerges.
The future’s bright for Poland’s electromobility market, says Frost & Sullivan
Poland’s electromobility market is ripe for growth. Favourable government initiatives such as the Electromobility Plan and Electromobility and Alternative Fuels Act are reshaping local mobility and igniting innovative clean technologies to achieve higher competitiveness and energy optimization. Growth will be augmented by consumer incentives and the simultaneous development of infrastructure, energy distribution, and product offerings. Players should look for opportunities in charging point infrastructure development, automotive supply chain transformation, and public transport modernisation to gain a competitive advantage.
The world’s first commercial road and air legal flying car has gone on sale, but with a hefty price tag. Dutch manufacturer PAL-V has revealed details of the PAL-V Liberty, a concept that first debuted in 2012. It costs around £425,000, more expensive than 26 Ford Fiestas. The price of the flying car includes flight instruction sessions, power heating and other personalisation options.
The light commercial vehicle market (LCV) declined in May following a period of exceptionally strong demand, according to figures released by SMMT. 26,982 new vans hit British roads in May, representing a fall of 5.3 per cent.
UK car registrations decline in May – SMMT figures
After hitting record peaks in 2016 and early 2017, the UK’s new car market saw a significant decline in May. New passenger car registrations declined 8.5 per cent, with a total of 186,265 units. In 2017 overall, the market is 0.6 per cent lower than last year, with more than 1.1 million cars registered between January and May. Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) continued their impressive 2017 growth in May, 46.7 per cent higher than in 2016, with a total of 8,258 AFVs registered making 47,936 so far this year. The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) argued that the general election’s short-term impact on consumer confidence has been the key factor, and that medium term prospects remain good for another record-setting year. However KPMG analysts were more taciturn, suggesting car manufacturers have turned their attentions to Europe and expecting a steady decline in 2017.
New car registration figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) show that a total of 1,191,034 units were registered in the EU in April 2017, 6.6 per cent less than the year before. Most major markets saw a decrease: the UK’s market dropped by 19.8 per cent, followed by Germany (-8.0 per cent), France (-6.0 per cent), and Italy (-4.6 per cent). Among the largest markets only Spain grew by 1.1 per cent.
April new car registrations show a ‘significant decline’ says SMMT
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the UK new car market experienced a significant decline in April, following exceptional growth in the previous month as buyers brought forward purchases ahead of the switch to new VED rates, which came into force on 1 April 2017. The figures show that 152,076 new cars were registered in April, a -19.8 per cent decline.
Close, but not yet in the top 20 – tyre retailers pushing forward
By definition, the top 20 ranking focuses its attention on the 20 largest retail chains in a given year. However, it would be wrong to assume that there aren’t equally important changes outside the top 20. Take the next five positions for example, there have also been significant changes in the fifth tier (positions 21 to 25 inclusive). And, with some 20,000 points of sale where tyres can be bought in total (including garages), all 25 positions only account for the top 10 per cent of the overall market. With that in mind, let’s take a look at those that just missed out on the attention of being in the top 20.
The 2017 tyre retail ranking continues the trend of recent years when it comes to the second group of five leading retail chains. For the last few years we have seen this “second tier” group grow steadily towards the top tier.
Protyre is fastest growing UK retail chain for 2nd straight year
The 2017 edition of Tyres & Accessories’ annual retail report shows that the overall number of branches controlled by the top 20 retail chains continues to grow. However, that is just part of the story and the data shows that there have actually been significant movements in every tier of the top 20. Perhaps the clearest observation is that Micheldever’s Protyre retail chain is once again the fastest growing in the UK – a title it claims in 2017 for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, Goodyear’s HiQ franchise network is the top 20’s fastest faller – something that suggests the first changes in the make-up of the top five since we started tracking the UK retail landscape could take place before the year is out.
March 2017 car registrations in the European Union reached 1,891,583 units in March 2017 according to figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), continuing the upward trend seen in the first quarter of the year.
UK motorcycle registrations have dropped again in March, usually a strong month as new number plates are released and the riding season begins in earnest. Stephen Latham, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) said dealers had expected the market to be up, “however registrations were down -12.6 per cent - a huge drop of 2,103 machines compared with March last year.”
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