Focus on Sankei policy
MayUnited KingdomAutomotive productionYear-on-year decline32.8%
The latest industry data shows that due to the dual impact of factory shutdowns and US tariff policies, British cars in MayyieldIt has declined year-on-year for the fifth consecutive month. According to the British Automobile Manufacturers and Traders Association, the total production of passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the UK in May was 49,810 units, down 32.8% year-on-year, the largest decline in passenger car and commercial vehicle production in May since 1949 (this data does not include 2020 affected by the new crown epidemic).
U.S. new car sales are expected in Junewill be year-on-year2.5% increase
According to a joint report released by J.D. Power and GlobalData, total U.S. new car sales in June are expected to increase by 2.5% year-on-year to 1.25 million units on a seasonally adjusted basis. However, excluding the adjustment of sales days, actual sales in the United States in June fell by 5.4% compared to the same period in 2024.
United StatesThe average retail price of new cars in June is expectedwillup 3.1% year-on-year
According to specific data, the average retail price of new cars in the United States is expected to reach $46,233 in June, up 3.1% year-on-year, but only slightly increased by 0.2% month-on-month. Currently, tariff policies increase the cost per vehicle by manufacturers by an average of $4,275, with specific impacts varying by the region of production. In the face of cost pressures, manufacturers have gradually reduced their promotional efforts, from 6.1% of the suggested retail price in January to 5% in June.
US Q2New carSales are expected to increase by 2.5% year-on-year
New car sales in the United States are expected to reach 4.18 million units in the second quarter of this year, a year-on-year increase of 2.5%. However, analysts pointed out that due to the rebound effect after the outage of the dealer system in the same period last year, the year-on-year data of new car sales in the United States in July this year may not accurately reflect the real situation of the market.
Japan reiterated that it could not accept the United StatesimportCarAdditional levies25% tariff
Japan’s chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said Japan could not accept a 25% tariff on imported cars by the United States. He revealed that Japanese automakers produce about 3.3 million cars in the United States each year, a figure much higher than the 1.37 million they export to the United States. At the same time, he also pointed out that these Japanese car companies have invested more than $60 billion in the United States and created 2.3 million local jobs.
India is considering relaxing fuel efficiency standards for small cars
According to Indian government and industry sources, India is considering relaxing fuel efficiency standards for small cars under the lobbying of Maruti Suzuki, the Indian subsidiary of Suzuki Motors. This move stems from the rapid growth of the Indian SUV market, which has led to a continuous decline in small car sales.
France recalled another 800,000 vehicles due to the Takata airbag scandal
The French government is asking for a recall of another 800,000 cars equipped with Takata airbags. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot asked all manufacturers to inform motorists in Corsica and other overseas regions of France to stop driving vehicles equipped with Takata airbags manufactured in any year until the vehicle is repaired, and to issue the same directive to all vehicles equipped with Takata airbags manufactured in France before 2011. Previously, the French government had said that vehicles from 30 brands manufactured between 1998 and 2019 could be recalled. According to estimates by the French Ministry of Transport based on automaker data, the expanded recall will bring the total to 2.5 million units; Among them, the number of mandatory recalls (i.e., “suspension orders”) doubled to 1.7 million units.
Focus·New energy
GAC Group launched in IndonesiaElectric vehicleproduce
GAC Group recently officially launched its electric vehicle assembly business in Indonesia, marking the company’s further expansion in the Southeast Asian market. GAC Group’s plant in West Java, Indonesia, has begun production of its first model, the Aion V pure electric crossover. It is reported that the factory was in the early yearsCapacityIt can reach 20,000 units, and plans to gradually increase it to 50,000 units. In the future, the plant’s product line will include plug-in hybrid models.
BYD designated Voestalpine as a steel supplier for the Hungarian automobile factory
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has announced the official signing of an agreement with Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine, which will become a steel supplier to BYD’s passenger car plant in Hungary.
transmitTesla key executives、Musk’s close allyOmead Afshar has been killeddimission
Omead Afshar, a key executive of American electric vehicle maker Tesla and a close ally of CEO Elon Musk, has left the company, according to people familiar with the matter. People familiar with the matter said that news about Omead Afshar’s departure has been circulating among some employees in recent days. It is reported that Omead Afshar’s name has disappeared from Tesla’s internal address book. At present, the reason for his departure and future plans are not clear. Omead Afshar, who previously worked in Musk’s office, was promoted last year to head of Tesla’s sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe.
Morocco has completed a lithium battery material factory with an annual production capacity of 40,000 tons
COBCO recently held a launching ceremony for its first lithium-ion material production plant. As the first investment in the company’s nickel-manganese-cobalt precursor industrial park, the lithium battery material plant has an annual production capacity of 40,000 tons. It is reported that the total investment of the industrial park in the project amounts to billions of dirhams, covering three complementary industrial projects. After the completion of the COBCO production site, it will be able to produce 120,000 tons of nickel-manganese-cobalt precursors and 60,000 tons of lithium iron phosphate cathode materials per year.
MoroccoIt is planned to increase the production of electric vehicles53% increase
Morocco’s Minister of Industry, Ryad Mezzour, said Morocco aims to produce 107,000 electric vehicles per year by the end of 2025 (a 53% increase in production). Currently, Moroccan total car production is 700,000 units, which is expected to reach 1 million by the end of this year. The automotive sector, Morocco’s largest export sector, has created at least 116,000 jobs in Morocco between 2014 and 2018.
Focus on the new trends of traditional car companies
Subaru bets on the new Forester SUVs in response to Trump’s tariffs
Japanese automaker Subaru is pinning its hopes on its new Forester SUV to cope with the impact of the Trump administration’s tariff policy while the company weighs how much production capacity to move to the United States. It is reported that the US market accounts for more than 70% of Subaru’s total sales, which ranks first among Japanese automakers; Half of those sales come from domestic Japanese exports, making the company particularly vulnerable to tariffs on imported cars imposed by US President Donald Trump earlier this year.
General Motors recalled more than 62,000 vehicles in the United States due to braking system problems
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said General Motors is recalling 62,468 vehicles in the U.S. market due to defective brake pressure sensor assemblies in these vehicles that can cause brake fluid leaks, increasing the risk of circuit shorts. The recall concerns select Chevrolet Silverado models from 2019 to 2024. It is estimated that about 1% of recalled vehicles have the above defects.
Focus and intelligence
sunUber approached the founder，It is intended to be provided for the acquisition of Pony.ai’s U.S. businessfundIn the tank
According to reports, Uber is in talks with its founder Travis Kalanick to provide financial support for his acquisition of the U.S. business unit of Chinese self-driving company Pony.ai. If the deal is concluded, Travis Kalanick will be responsible for operating Pony.ai’s Delaware-registered subsidiary while continuing to lead its existing company, CloudKitchens, two sources said. Analysts at Bloomberg Industry Research said that given that Pony.ai has not yet generated revenue in the United States, any transaction with Travis Kalanick may be valued at less than $500 million.
American automakers are calling for faster autonomous drivingCarRegulatory development process
As testing of new driverless taxis continues to expand, major automakers are urging the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration to accelerate action to streamline the deployment of autonomous vehicles without human control. The U.S. Congress has been undecided for years over whether to pass legislation to remove barriers to autonomous driving, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been slow to act in key areas, such as lagging regulations and hesitating to relax the road permit limit for 2,500 non-human-controlled vehicles per year.
Seoul has launched autonomous taxis equipped with local technology and plans to achieve L4 autonomous driving by 2027
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has fully adopted technology developed by local companies in its L3 autonomous taxi service. It is reported that the SUV used by the team is the Korando electric model of South Korean automaker KG Mobility. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to realize the operation of L4 autonomous taxis by 2027. L4 autonomous driving only requires human intervention in specific areas and is just one step away from fully autonomous driving.
