News

2023 Domestic MC Shipments Increase 4%

JAPAN REPORT

Domestic motorcycle shipments increased for the first time in two years to 376,720 units in 2023, up 4% from the previous year. Class 2 mopeds, which have relatively low maintenance costs, performed well, increasing 47% year-on-year. The shortage of semiconductors and the easing of logistics disruptions also contributed to the increase in shipments.

Class 1 mopeds (50cc and below) fell by 29% to 92,824 units. Class 2 mopeds (over 50cc and under 125cc) were up 47% to 149,655 units, light motorcycles (over 125cc and under 250cc) were up 16% to 66,630 units and small motorcycles (over 250cc) were down 6% to 67,611 units.

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Hyundai Motor Sells Chongqing Plant in China

SOUTH KOREA REPORT

The company sold the plant to Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Yufu Industrial Park Construction and Investment Group, which is owned by the city of Chongqing, and its affiliate will use the plant as a production base for electric vehicles.

Hyundai Motor Company has sold its finished car plant in Chongqing, China, to a Chongqing government-owned company for 1.62 billion yuan (about 33 billion yen, $222 million) in December 2023. Hyundai Motor is rushing to restructure its Chinese business, which has suffered from sluggish sales, and concentrate its management resources in the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

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Thailand Lithium Deposit World’s Third Largest

THAILAND REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

The Thai government has announced the discovery of a large lithium deposit, calling the deposit the third largest in the world after Bolivia and Argentina. It has estimated reserves of approximately 14.8 million tons. The deposit was found at two sites in the southern province of Phang Nga. However, it will take some time to find out how much of the discovered resources can be used.

Thailand is keen to become the center of EV production in Southeast Asia, leveraging its experience in assembling conventional cars, and the discovery of the lithium deposit will give the country a boost in achieving this goal.

Source: AFPBB

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Recharging Slows Electrification of HD Trucks

CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao
Jack Hao

In 2022, the penetration rate of new energy units in the commercial vehicle market exceeded 10%, and the penetration rate of heavy-duty trucks was close to 5%. The new energy subsidy policy was scheduled to be withdrawn at the end of 2023, but data for the January to October period is basically the same as the previous year. The share of new energy units for the commercial vehicle segment is far lower than the market share of 30.4% for new energy passenger vehicles.

With the accelerated adjustment of China’s transportation structure, it is expected that by 2025, the national railway and water freight volume will increase by 10% and 12%, respectively, compared to 2020, while the road freight volume will relatively decrease. In this context, bulk and ultra long-distance road transportation will gradually exit the market, and the advantages of short and point-to-point road trunk transportation with radii of around 500 kilometers and 300 kilometers will be further highlighted.

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Ford’s Potential Return to India

INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar

Ford Motor Co’s unexpected decision to retain its factory in Tamil Nadu and its potential plans for the assembly of the latest Endeavour signals a potential shift in strategy towards a stronger focus on electric vehicles (EVs) and leveraging India as an export hub.

This analysis delves into the implications of Ford’s potential emphasis on EVs and its ability to capitalize on India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for exports.

Globally, under its current CEO, Jim Farley, Ford is focused on the electrification and digital transformation of core segments in which it is a leader, namely trucks, SUVs, commercial vehicles, and performance cars.

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