With a 1.3 billion population there are bound to be plenty of accidents and emergencies within Chinese borders that require the assistance of firefighters, now firefighters in China can make use of American KME’s trucks.
KME, or Kovatach Mobile Equipment Corp are a Pensylvania based company that have looked beyond the domestic US market for new sales…
Read More →Since the launch of the Baojun brand and its first 630 sedan news from the sub brand from GM and SAIC has gone quiet, now we have learned that BaoJun are prepping a new SUV for the Chinese market. The new SUV will be based on the Baojun 630′s platform and will continue to use the existing Baojun style language. Currently the Baojun uses 1.5L and 1.8L…
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Chery denied rumors earlier today that it is planning to cut 9000 from its workforce would undergo a series of redundancies after a 190 million RMB loss in the first quarter of 2013.
At the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show Chery announced its ‘One Chery Strategy’ which included the ending of Riich, Reely and Karry brands which would be pushed back…
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Hyundai’s strong growth in the Chinese market is leading the company to contemplate a fourth factory in China according to comments made to Reuters by Hyundai’s Vice Chairman Hsueh Yung-hsing.
Hsueh has been running Hyundai’s China operations for a number of years and believes that the new plant is required if Hyundai are to keep and improve on their…
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It’s a well known fact that Chinese labor is somewhat cheaper than what is available in the West, however in recent years Chinese salaries have sky rocketed at a rapid pace for the average white collar worker. Entry level jobs for a recent graduate in Shanghai will net around 5000RMB (812USD) per month at the minimum, post grads can look forward to…
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Detroit Electric is an age old automotive brand, albeit one that slipped into the history books but has returned as a self proclaimed leader in the production and development of EV vehicles. Detroit Electric is headed by Albert Lam, Lam previously took Lotus Engineering into new markets such as China, India and the USA and and at one served as the Managing…
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BYD has three problems, firstly the company…
Several years ago, even just a few months ago, premium brands commanded premium prices in the PRC, but in recent months prices of premium brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes have dropped so much that Chinese consumers are quickly referring to these cars as ‘Cabbage prices‘ owing to their low buy in costs.
According to Chinese media reports who are citing Japanese media reports, Toyota is planning to slow down imports into China and stop Chinese production for the month citing slowing demand for Japanese branded cars due to the current stand off over the Senaku Island’s which China claims as its own and Japan currently administers. Read More →
Over…
Professor…
At the Global Automotive Forum earlier this month Geely CEO, Li Shu Fu, took to the stage and proclaimed that in developing a car company, there are no shortcuts to be had. Two weeks later, Reuters…
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Geely has two new additions to its team, first PSA Asia’s former product planner and market strategy director Mr Sun Xiao Dong has joined Geely as brand director and Hawtai’s former CEO Mr Hou Qing Jing will join Geely as the General Manager of Geely’s Chengdu production facility.
Sun Xiao Dong has been in the car industry since 1997 when he joined…
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Although Russia and China have had quite the long history of close cooperation, the two have separated over the past few years when it comes to engine technology. Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturers have been leaning on their American and European partners for engines, but Russian company GAZ are planning to come back to China. GAZ aired their…
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Wuling continues to be a world beating car, in the first 9 months of the year Wuling has managed to sell 1 million vehicles in the Chinese market. In the 244 days from January to Sept, Wuling sold an average of 3,500 vehicles every day, which was up 15.2 percent from the same period in 2011. Domestic sales of its Wuling mini-commercial vehicles this…
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The Fiat Viaggio is Fiat’s shot at retaking the market…
When Kevin Wale arrived in China in 2005 he had a job on his hands, GM was just finding its feet with SAIC Auto after a failed joint venture partnership in Shenyang that saw it produce the Chevrolet Trailblazer which Chinese consumers promptly turned their noses up at. The new joint venture had to work quick to get the Buick and then later Chevrolet…
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Volkswagen have high hopes for the Chinese market as it heads for the mantel of World’s Largest Automaker, the Chinese market is expected to be the cornerstone of these plans as the German manufacturer slowly reaches its goal. Chinese consumers bought into the VW brand early thanks to VW becoming the first passenger car manufacturer in China in 1984,…
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Professor. Dr. Jochem Heizmann will be taking the reigns at Volkswagen Group China from September 1st and will take over management and oversight of VW’s joint ventures and independent brands in the Chinese market.
Prof. Dr. Heizmann will bring a wealth of executive, strategic and industrial engineering and production planning in his 30-year serve…
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GM, like every other manufacturer in China, is serious about the ‘New Energy Market’ and are planning to launch the pure electric Sail in the Chinese market very soon. The Sail was a car designed solely in China for the Chinese market, but it has been exported to other developing markets such as Chile. The Sail EV has appeared as a concept car previously,…
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Europeans love their diesels, partly due to the high torque, partly due to the high milage that diesel drivers get per tank. Chinese on the other hand haven’t taken to diesel in the same way as their Euro counterparts, diesel is harder to come by thanks to the government telling factories to lower or end their production to meet CO2 output by turning…
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2011 was a bad year for BYD, 2012 is even worse. Profit seems to be down 94% for the entire BYD group which includes much more than just car making, the good news is that their BYD F3 Su Rui was just launched, a turn around seems do-able!
From AFP…
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In 2008 Chery shocked the Chinese automotive market with the introduction of Riich, Reely and Karry. Riich was to be Chery’s high end sedan range, Reely would carry SUV and MPV’s, and Karry would become the companies commercial vehicle arm. To date it seems that only Karry seems to have had any noticeable effect on the automotive industry whilst Riich…
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Previously car manufacturers would sell the old model alongside the new model to cater to two types of consumers, those that wanted value for money and those that were more aesthetically focused. Hyundai now want to cater to three different types of consumer with the introduction of the latest generation of Elantra for China, meaning the third,…
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Beijing currently only allows for 20,000 new cars to hit the streets every month, that translates into just 250,000 new cars per year. New license plates are issued by a lottery system, a system that is backed up with 1 million people waiting to get their first shot at car ownership.
Chin Daily gives us the low down:
A record 1-million-plus…
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On August 15th a series of rumors emerged from Shanghai media circles, FAW had apparently managed to rope in the local government in its home town of Changchun into offering subsidies for Besturn branded vehicles bought and sold in the city, Changchun apparently agreed with every Besturn B50 being given 5000RMB, B70 6000RMB and the B90/SUV models 7000RMB,…
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A recent Sales Satisfaction Survey carried out by JD Power reveled that new Chinese car owners are not as satisfied with their products as they once were. JD Power has highlighted increased sales pressure and an insufficient supply of experienced staff as the main reasons for a deterioration in the overall sales satisfaction among new vehicles.
JD…
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Wanxiang recently invested in A123 Battery, an ailing American battery supplier that has key deals with several automakers. A123 has been hemorrhaging cash since its inception due to heavy investments in R&D and little return from clients as of yet. WanXiang, the Chinese tier one auto parts supplier, stepped in to assist A123 but American politicians…
Read More →Old time CCT Favorite Michael Dunne has put forward his reasons as to why Great Wall vehicles are suddenly becoming filled with asbestos parts via the Wall Street Journal. Michael is no stranger to the Chinese automotive industry, so his theory potentially holds some water. Both Chery and GWM have invested a great deal in their automotive build quality,…
Read More →Obama once said that he wasn’t willing to cede the battery and wind market to China, but the recent A123-Wanxiang deal might come back to haunt him. A123 Battery systems has faced some stiff competition in recent years from Chinese…
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Xinhua has put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and written an interesting article on the domino effect of introducing license plate restrictions in certain cities. Shanghai, Beijing, Guiyang, Guangzhou came with their license plate restrictions and now Xi’An is on tenterhooks as the local government decide what to do with their traffic jam situations….
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Chinese Honda owners are the happiest bunch around according to recent research from J.D. Power. In J.D. Powers most recent yearly survey into Consumer Satisfaction Index it was revealed that Guangzhou-Honda owners were the most satisfied car owners in China with the group scoring 902 points in the CSI research, the industry average was a mere 832 points….
Read More →BYD’s new flagship compact sedan, the F3 Plus, or Su Rui in Chinese, is going to launch on September 10th which is just 30 days away. In the meantime to keep BYD fans salivating at the thought of a high value low cost sedan, BYD released renders of the final product earlier today.
The BYD F3 Plus is not to be sniffed at, the car may…
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Earlier today Ford China announced that its July sales figures increased by 32% to 42,650 units in total with Ford branded vehicles reaching 26,306 units, an increase of 44%.
Ford branded vehicles, included sales of the imported Ford Edge, reached 27,498 units in total. The new Ford Focus is leading hte charge with over 11,000 units sold, the Mondeo…
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BMW dealerships in China were always eager to show that their products were German made, now it seems the next generation of 3-Series will be brought in to China via South Africa, BMW haven’t yet confirmed which model will be sent to China but as the factory largely produces the 3-series we can guess the 3-series is China bound. Confusingly, the current…
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After Guangzhou’s recent introduction of anti car policies which will see new car sales limited to just 120,000 units in the next 6 months, the Chinese auto market began to look at which city would next fall to China’s growing anti car policy. The majority of Chinese cities are woefully unprepared for the rapid rate in automotive ownership and have…
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The Chinese warranty game is a depressing one, the average Chinese automobile warranty period whether it be a domestic brand or a joint venture brand is circa 60,000KM or 2 years, some manufacturers are more brave and offer 3 years/100,000km and the really brave 5 years, but the majority are circa 60,000km/2 years. Not many manufactures offer extended…
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In late 2011 Government Ministers for Guangdong Province announced that the traffic situation in Guangzhou and Shenzhen must be controlled at all costs, which gave media and potential consumers the first hint that license plate controls were coming. On June 30th car dealerships got wind of a news conference that would effectively put a dent in their…
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When BYD’s sales…
From Fox Business News Via Dow Jones Newswires:
Mr. Strunz, general director of car importer CN Auto, is heading the Brazilian company’s plan to invest 250 million Brazilian reais ($122 million) to…
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Youngman are spoiling to take over a foreign manufacturer, its venture into Saab took a turn for the worse and the company eventually lost out, now they are planning to go back to their bus making roots by taking a healthy share in Viseon.
From Reuters:
Youngman…
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Want to know why car (and other product) cloning is so popular in China? Because its cheap. Most of the R&D work done in car development comes from sourcing the parts that actually go into the final product, but if you take over an existing car the supply chain is easier to master and can be put together in weeks and months rather than years.
According…
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Wards Auto had the pleasure of sitting down with FAW’s President Mr. Li Jun and finding out some interesting info regarding FAW’s plans to make a low cost rival to the Chevrolet Volt. Li Jun claims the car will good for just one liter of fuel per 100km, which if true will be a wonder vehicle for Chinese drivers, add in its potentially low cost and it…
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Naturally when sales are down in your home market, you look to export sales to lighten the load, although Euro and North American export markets are off limits due to high regulation and also a lack of consumers. South American, Russian and Middle Eastern consumers are more than eager to pick up a Chinese bargain on four wheels, earlier this week the…
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From China Daily:
Honda Automobile Co, a 50-50 joint venture between China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Japan’s Honda Motor Company, will recall thousands of CR-V passenger vehicles due to defects in the door lock design, China’s quality watchdog said Thursday.
The recall will affect 76,415 vehicles produced between Jan 17 to June…
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Volkswagen China last week that the company delivered over 1.3 million vehicles in China in the first half of 2012 according to a press release from the company.
VW’s sales in the first half of 2012 are up 17% over the same period in 2011, showing that the company is not showing any signs of being effected by the slow down that is rearing its head…
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Opel desperately wanting to…
SUV’s RULE PASSENGER CARS DROOL seems to be the mantra of the Chinese car buying public, the lust for SUV’s of all shapes and sizes that stretch the very idea of crossover have been coming into China steadily over the past few years, it started with the miniature Suzuki SX4 and then grew into the Honda Crosstour and Acura ZDX type vehicles, all price…
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The Chinese car market doesn’t need any intervention in the short term as rumors are keeping the free market alive. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and the sleepy provincial capital, GuiYang, have all introduced the anti car policies to slow down the number of cars taking to local roads to alleviate congestion and also improve the local environment. The…
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ECOtality, the California based charging and electric storage company has announced a new joint venture with Changchun Eco-Power Technology to form Tianjin Eco-Power Technology Co, Ltd.
The new joint venture hasn’t yet announced how much capital it is pouring into the new joint venture, but it is well placed to capture part of the EV market. Part…
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From Xinhua:
Xinhua (Nanjing) – Kia Motors’ Chinese subsidiary Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company broke ground for a new plant in east China’s Jiangsu province on Friday.
Located in Yancheng city, the plant is expected to produce 200,000 cars annually when its first phase is completed in the first half of 2014. The facility…
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Audi China have once again defied the market slow down and posted growth of 37.8% in the first half of 2012 with a total of 193,871 delivered to Chinese consumers in the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong.
This year Audi launched multiple new products in the Chinese market such as the new Audi A8L and also the A6L, later this year Audi will introduce…
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Although Geely are a major manufacturer amongst the Chinese domestic players, it hasn’t so far chased automotive exports as hard as its nearest rivals, however for 2012 Geely has made exports one of its major goals to boost sales. Chery has become one of the major automotive exporters over the past two years which has greatly increased their sales figures,…
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Suzuki is the small car king in China, but its terrible at selling anything much larger than the SX4. The Japanese brand has signed two joint venture contracts in the Chinese market, initially with Chang’an Auto but later with Changhe, then Chang’an merged Changhe into its own operations which should give Suzuki a stronger platform for the Chinese market….
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Guangzhou City, the capital of Guangdong province, becomes a car park every day at rush hour with cars stacked up bumper to bumper for miles until around 9:30am or 7pm at night, taxi drivers complain about their reduced salaries and increased waiting times. Currently Guangzhou adds 31,000 cars per month to its roads, or roughly 1000 units per day, obviously…
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A while back the Chinese government demanded that its massive car market go through a period of consolidation to ward off any potential economics woes and build two or three seriously strong Chinese car companies that are capable of taking on the world. Did any Chinese manufacturers actually take heed to the governments proclamation? Seldom did. Although…
Read More →From Bloomberg:
Volvo Car Corp. (175), the Swedish automaker owned by Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., is seeking a partner that can help it build vehicles in North America.
“In…
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When putting forward a plan for a joint venture one of the first departments that you need to clear is the Ministry of Environment. China in 2012 is far from being the poster boy for environmental concern, but that is changing quite rapidly, simply put if your business plans are not lean and green, then you do not get the rubber stamp from the Environment…
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This is the question that everyone is asking this week. The answer is quite simple:
No.
If Saab’s future is electric, it’s likely best that it doesn’t come to China. Imported hybrid and EV vehicles do not gain the subsidies or preferential treatment at the consumer level that locally made vehicles receive. Furthermore, the market…
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Chang’an Mazda sales received a much welcome respite in May when sales were up a reported 40% according to the company. Mazda’s recent introduction of the latest generation of Mazda 3 in sedan and hatch form is being hailed as the solution to Mazda’s recent slow sales streak. The new Mazda3 is sold alongside the old Mazda3 which is now called the Mazda…
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The current Citroen C-Elysee is an old car, based on the original Citroen ZX it has served a good purpose in China. The original ZX was a bit of a sales let down in the Chinese market, it sold well, but ultimately at that time sedans were the way forward for the early 2000 era car consumers. The Elysee was built on top of the ZX platform and built to…
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The Chinese appetite for SUV’s is unstoppable, last months sales figures showed that sales of SUV’s jumped by 49% despite high oil prices, the demand for Skodas is also extremely high with China become the brands biggest market.
Skoda’s total world sales in the past five months exceeded 400,000 units, the same period over in 2011 netted just over…
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Volkswagen has a hard job in China, managing two highly sucesful joint venture is akin to raising chicks in a nest, the ones that cry out the loudest get the tastiest morsels of meat when mommy returns. SH-VW received the North American Passat, FAW-VW received the Euro Passat, FAW-VW develops the Bora, SH-VW develops the Lavida, SH-VW gets the Tiguan,…
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