SA auto production exports seen recovering in 2010 (01/03/10)

Exports of South African vehicles should increase substantially in 2010, according to the country's automakers.

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Naamsa) suggested that 221,000 units will be shipped over the course of the year, compared to 174,947 in 2009.

Nammsa confirmed that last year's figure was almost 40 per cent lower than the total for the previous 12-month period, when exports reached a record 284,211 vehicles.

The auto sector in South Africa has been badly hit by a combination of the global economic downturn and the first domestic recession for 17 years.

However, Naamsa predicted that industry-wide sales will increase by seven per cent in 2010, reversing the recent decline to levels not seen since 2002.

"Expected improved economic activity levels, the benefit of lower interest rates on the back of declining inflationary pressures and an improvement in the financial position of consumers should contribute to a modest improvement in new vehicle sales," said the body in a quarterly review.

The automakers' association also revealed that the number of locally-produced vehicles slumped from 562,965 to 373,923 in 2009, but that this figure should rebound to about 434,000 this year.

Renault to Double Russian Output, Invest $200 Million (01/03/10)

Renault has revealed that it intends to double its auto production in Russia in order to meet an expected increase in demand in the country this year, Bloomberg reports.

France's second-largest automaker will spend about $200 million on its Avtoframos factory to allow 160,000 vehicles per year to be manufactured at the Moscow-based facility.

Car sales in Russia plummeted by 56 per cent to 1.4 million last year, but accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers suggested in January that this figure could increase by 15 per cent to 1.6 million in 2010.

Indeed, Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn told the news provider that he expects the market to "start recovering" this year, despite overall European demand declining by ten per cent.

Renault was the fifth most popular marque in Russia in 2009, having attracted 72,484 new sales, and is expecting to capture a greater share after launching its low-cost Sandero compact.

Meanwhile, OAO AvtoVAZ, which is 25 per cent-owned by Renault, also revealed that it plans to push its annual output to more than one million units, which is roughly double its current level.

Geely Auto researching new energy cars (03/03/10)

Geely Automobile Holdings is looking to expand its fleet with the development of new energy cars, it has been confirmed.

The Chinese government has announced plans to provide incentives for automakers who demonstrate their commitment to producing cleaner vehicles.

Companies such as BYD and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corporation have already commenced their research into the next-generation cars.

However, Geely Chairman Li Shufu revealed in an interview with Reuters that his marque will not be releasing any such products in the next one to two years.

"Every company in the auto industry is looking at it right now. But this needs time and people need patience," he told the news provider at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

Nissan to up production by over 17 pct in FY10-Nikkei (22/03/10)

Finally, Nissan announced recently that it intends to attain a record global production figure of 3.69 million units in the 2010 financial year - a rise of more than 17 per cent.

The third-largest automaker in Japan told the Nikkei business daily that it expects to produce about 1.85 million vehicles between April and September, representing a year-on-year leap of 32.3 per cent.

In addition, Nissan claimed that it will achieve output of between 1.84 million and 1.93 million units in the following six-month period, which would be five to ten per cent higher than the projected total for H2 FY09.

According to the news provider, the automaker should increase domestic output by 9.7 per cent to 1.13 million units for the current financial year.

Nissan has commenced production of its Micra sub-compact vehicle in Thailand and India and is hoping to churn out 80,000 to 90,000 units in the two countries in FY10.

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