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ACEA: Auto industry expects stable market in 2017

Brussels, 8 February 2017 – The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) shared its market expectations and some of its key policy recommendations for the year ahead at a press conference today.

“Contrary to many newspaper headlines, and despite Brexit or the Italian referendum, consumer confidence has, so far, remained robust,” explained ACEA President Dieter Zetsche, who is in Brussels for the association’s annual reception this evening. Indeed, EU passenger car sales grew by 6.8% last year, bringing the total number of cars sold to 14.6 million units – the highest volume in nine years.

However, uncertainty is expected to overshadow 2017, when a slowdown in EU car sales is likely with growth at around 1%, according to ACEA estimates. “Much will depend on the evolution of macro-economic conditions and political developments, but we expect our market to remain stable. Therefore, we urge the EU to continue its efforts to ensure fair access to the global market place.”

2017 also marks the entry into force of two pieces of important emissions-testing legislation: an updated laboratory test for measuring pollutant and CO2 emissions from cars (WLTP) and the first step of a new test to measure pollutant emissions under real driving conditions (RDE). “Both WLTP and RDE are essential measures to win back the trust of customers,” Zetsche stated. “But both need a proper implementation.”

http://www.acea.be/press-releases/article/auto-industry-expects-stable-market-in-2017

Scania welcomes Sweden-Germany partnership on mobility and electrical roads

A new innovation partnership between Sweden and Germany is being launched today during Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Sweden. The partnership includes mobility and electrical roads, areas where Scania’s innovations are already being put to the test.

A key focus of the cooperation between the two countries will be the development of electrified road technology, work that has already been started by Scania in cooperation with its German counterpart Siemens.

The two governments’ announcement aims to strengthen the cooperation on development, and applying technology that is already available, while also strengthening the two nations’ ability to compete with others in offering the best sustainability solutions as the world’s needs continue to change rapidly.

World’s first electrified road for heavy goods traffic

The agreement also underlines the value of strategic partnerships in creating solutions for a future of sustainable transport. An example of such partnerships is the collaboration between Scania and Siemens on electrified road technology, which resulted in the world’s first electrified road for heavy goods traffic on public roads, being opened in Gävle, central Sweden, in June 2016.

https://www.scania.com/group/en/scania-welcomes-sweden-germany-partnership-on-mobility-and-electrical-roads/

Volvo Cars celebrates 20 years of All-Wheel Drive in the snow with a firm eye on the future

Volvo Cars, the premium carmaker, is celebrating 20 years of mechanical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) by putting some of its most capable cars through their paces on the frozen lakes around the Northern Swedish ski resort of Åre.

“Volvo cars are well known for what we call ‘framkomlighet’ in Swedish – the ability to get you wherever you want to go – regardless of the weather conditions. This is an important part of our heritage and a clear reflection of who we are and where we come from. With the recent addition of electric All-Wheel Drive to our top-of-the-line products we have further refined our performance in this important area,” said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

“Electrification will bring ever more flexibility to AWD. You can see the first signs of this in our XC90 T8 Twin Engine, where we have an electric rear-axle drive unit powering the rear wheels. As we move to full battery electric vehicles and other powertrain applications, we will see increased opportunities to control each motor and wheel independently, based on either the surface conditions or the desired driving style,” said Henrik Green.

Volvo Cars celebrates 20 years of All-Wheel Drive in the snow with a firm eye on the future

ACEA: Passenger car registrations: +6.8% in 2016; +3.0% in December

Brussels, 17 January 2017 – In December 2016, the EU passenger car market posted growth (+3.0%), amounting to 1,143,653 units sold. In volume terms, this result marked the highest December total on record.

In December 2016, the EU passenger car market posted growth (+3.0%), amounting to 1,143,653 units sold. In volume terms, this result marked the highest December total on record. Looking at the five major EU markets, Italy (+13.1%) and Spain (+9.3%) posted the highest gains last month, followed by France (+5.8%) and Germany (+3.7%), which also performed better than in December 2015. Demand for new cars in the UK (-1.1%) dropped slightly.

In 2016, new passenger car registrations showed a consistent increase (+6.8%), totalling 14,641,356 units and marking the third consecutive year of growth in the sector. This positive trend is a sign that despite political instability and economic uncertainty following key events in 2016, such as Brexit or the Italian referendum, consumer confidence has remained robust. The growth recorded throughout the year was largely sustained across the whole region and in all major passenger car markets. Italy (+15.8%) and Spain (+10.9%) had the strongest growth in demand during the year, followed by France (+5.1%), Germany (+4.5%) and the UK (+2.3%).

* Data for Malta not available

http://www.acea.be/press-releases/article/passenger-car-registrations-6.8-in-2016-3.0-in-december

ACEA: Commercial vehicle registrations: +11.6% in 2016; +10.4% in December

Brussels, 25 January 2017 – In December 2016, EU demand for new commercial vehicles increased yet again (+10.4%), totalling 211,941 units.

Total new commercial vehicles

In December 2016, EU demand for new commercial vehicles increased yet again (+10.4%), totalling 211,941 units. Growth was sustained across all commercial vehicle segments. Italy ended the year extremely strong (+97.0%), with registrations almost doubling as a result of government incentives for fleet renewal that were introduced in September. Spain (+13.3%), Germany (+3.4%) and France (+2.9%) also posted growth, while the UK saw its demand decline during the last month of the year (-9.7%), mainly due to a drop in registrations of vans.

In 2016, the EU market showed consistent growth (+11.6%) and rose for the fourth year in a row, reaching 2,324,371 million commercial vehicles registered. Throughout the year, the five big markets performed better than in 2015. Italy (+49.9%) showed the most significant increase, followed by Spain (+11.3%), France (+8.3%), Germany (+7.0%) and the UK (+1.2%).

http://www.acea.be/press-releases/article/commercial-vehicle-registrations-11.6-in-2016-10.4-in-december

SCANIA: Making the case for basic science

Is the focus on basic science or curiosity-driven discovery weakening as we progress further into the world of technology innovation? Can governments and industry support pure science?

These, and more, were some of the questions discussed and addressed at the first ever Nobel Prize Series India 2017 – a five-day unique programme to foster interest in science. Nobel Media, partnering with Scania, took nine distinguished Nobel laureates across four key Indian cities to talk about the joys and rigours of pure science research.

The Series concluded with a round table discussion on “Innovative Minds: Building the Case for Basic Science” which brought together Nobel laureates with some of the best scientific minds in the country and leading businesses focused on science and research

All participants unequivocally underlined the vital importance of pure science research to development and stressed on the need for science research bodies and academia to popularise curiosity-driven discovery in the country. While some panellists stated that the focus on science had to be driven right from primary school, others pushed the case for government led incentives and tax breaks for industry to invest in pure science. Yet others urged companies to highlight the pure science research that forms the backbone of their business in order to popularise it.

Representing industry, Senior Vice President Erik Ljungberg, Scania, said, “While funding is subject to a lot of parameters, it should be a corporate responsibility to point out that all our core business and innovations are built on a bedrock of basic science research and discoveries made years ago. This will go a long way in popularising basic science research.”

Scania has always been committed to groundbreaking research and innovation to address some of the world’s most critical sustainability challenges. Its pursuit of scientific excellence and out of the box creativity has a perfect match in the endeavours of Nobel Media.

In India, Scania has taken the lead in helping the country shift to green transport. It has already helped Nagpur launch the country’s first fleet of ethanol-powered buses and also launched 24 buses retrofitted with biodiesel engines in Karnataka. The company focusses strongly on R&D in the field of sustainable transport for India and its association with Nobel Media in India is expected further Scania’s vision of scientific progress.

https://www.scania.com/group/en/making-the-case-for-basic-science/?utm_source=NewsletterDaily&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=January2017

Volvo Cars puts people first in the development of autonomous cars

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has revealed its distinctive approach to developing autonomous cars with the introduction of a family of four at the Detroit Motor Show.

The Hain family, from Gothenburg in Sweden, are the first people chosen to take part in a real-life autonomous drive research program using real cars, in real traffic.

“We do things differently at Volvo Cars – we always have,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group. “Our main focus has always been on people and making their lives easier. Technology should improve the consumer experience making mobility safer, sustainable and more convenient.”

“The aim of the Drive Me research project is to focus on how to enhance people’s lives and have a positive impact on society. We take a holistic rather than a purely technical approach to our research and development processes. No one else to our knowledge is developing autonomous drive from a human-centric standpoint,” said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.

Volvo Cars puts people first in the development of autonomous cars

SCANIA TAKES LEAD WITH FULL-SCALE AUTONOMOUS TRUCK PLATOON

Scania will design the world’s first full-scale autonomous truck platooning operations, based on its own advanced technology. The platoon will traffic public roads while transporting containers between port terminals in Singapore. The aim is to organise convoys of four trucks – with the following three trucks behind the lead truck autonomously driven, as well as to fully automate the processes for precise docking and undocking of cargo.

“Autonomous vehicles and platooning are cornerstones of future sustainable transport systems,” says Claes Erixon, Head of Research and Development at Scania. “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate our leadership and technology in this new exciting area. We are pioneering in this field, which has the potential not only to save lives in traffic, but also to significantly decrease the environmental impact of transport.”

https://www.scania.com/group/en/scania-takes-lead-with-full-scale-autonomous-truck-platoon/

Volvo Cars and Autoliv announce the launch of Zenuity

Volvo Cars and Autoliv to create joint venture for autonomous driving

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, and Autoliv, the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, have signed a final agreement to establish a new joint venture called Zenuity to develop software for autonomous driving and driver assistance systems, based on the letter of intent announced during fall 2016.

Zenuity will create a new entrant in the fast growing global market for autonomous driving software systems. It marks the first time a leading premium car maker has joined forces with a tier one supplier to develop new advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD) technologies.

Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden and with additional operations in Munich, Germany, and Detroit, USA, the initial workforce of around 200 people will come from Volvo Cars and Autoliv. The company is expected to grow to over 600 employees in the medium term. Operations are expected to start during the first half of 2017 after approvals from relevant competition authorities in several countries have been obtained and other customary closing conditions have been satisfied.

Volvo Cars and Autoliv announce the launch of Zenuity

ACEA: Commercial vehicle registrations: +11.7% over 11 months; +13.2% in November

Brussels, 22 December 2016 – In November 2016, demand for new commercial vehicles in the EU increased significantly (+13.2%) to 203,799 units, following a decline in the preceding month.

Total new commercial vehicles

In November 2016, demand for new commercial vehicles in the EU increased significantly (+13.2%) to 203,799 units, following a decline in the preceding month. Growth was sustained across all segments and all major markets. The Italian market posted the highest increase (+70.2%), followed by France (+15.0%), Spain (+14.2%), the UK (+3.7%) and Germany (+1.8%).

Eleven months into 2016, new registrations in the European Union remained positive (+11.7%), totalling more than 2.1 million vehicles. During that period, Italy (+44.2%), Spain (+11.1%), France (+8.9%), Germany (+7.4%), and the United Kingdom (+2.2%) all posted growth.

New light commercial vehicles (LCV) up to 3.5 tonnes

In November 2016, EU demand for light commercial vehicles grew considerably (+13.5%) after an October slowdown, totalling 168,667 units. Demand was mainly driven by Italy (+66.0%), France (+16.1%) and Spain (+11.9%), while the British (+2.5%) and German (+2.1%) markets only saw modest increases.

From January to November 2016, 1,741,498 new vans were registered in the EU, 12.1% more than in the same period a year ago. Italy (+44.8%), Spain (+10.9%), Germany (+8.9%), France (+8.7%) and the UK (+2.1%) all contributed to this positive upturn over the first 11 months of 2016.

http://www.acea.be/press-releases/article/commercial-vehicle-registrations-11.7-over-11-months-13.2-in-november