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Passenger Cars, Bakkies & Vans News

Electric car growth rate to cool in 2019, says report

By: Irma Venter 23rd January 2019 Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) expects the electric passenger car sales growth rate to cool in 2019. In its ‘Transition in Energy, Transport – 10 Predictions for 2019’ report, BNEF says there are now almost five-million passenger electric vehicles (EVs) on the road globally. →

Ghosn denied bail yet again with trial still months away

By: Bloomberg 22nd January 2019 Carlos Ghosn’s bail application was rejected again, even after the fallen car titan offered to wear an electronic tracker and be monitored by guards to end his custody that has now lasted more than two months. The latest rejection by a Tokyo court is a win for the prosecutors, who can now keep... →

Mahindra breaks through 5 000-unit barrier in 2018

By: Irma Venter 21st January 2019 Mahindra South Africa has recorded its best year ever in 2018, when the company sold 5 486 new vehicles in the domestic market. “Breaking through the 5 000 barrier in 2018 culminated in a very busy year for Mahindra,” says Mahindra South Africa CEO Rajesh Gupta. →

The KUV100

South African-built Hilux wins Dakar 2019

By: Irma Venter 18th January 2019 A South African-built bakkie has clinched the 2019 Dakar rally. Driven by Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel, the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa’s (SA’s) Hilux powered to the checkered flag on Thursday, nearly 47 minutes clear of second-place Nani Roma and Alex... →

Mathieu Baumel, Glyn Hall and Nasser Al Attiyah

Ghosn ouster from Renault nears as France abandons car titan

By: Bloomberg 17th January 2019 France is turning on Carlos Ghosn almost two months after his arrest in Tokyo, eliminating one of the executive’s last potential allies within the global auto alliance he has held together for almost two decades. The French government has called for Ghosn’s dismissal as chairman and chief... →

Renault board is said ready to oust Ghosn as chairperson, CEO

By: Bloomberg 16th January 2019 Renault SA is preparing to replace jailed chairperson and CEO Carlos Ghosn after his failed bid for bail in Japan signaled he may remain in detention for months, people familiar with the matter said. Some Renault board members have concluded that a decision is needed fast, after reports that... →

Ford, IBM among quartet in Congo cobalt blockchain project

By: Reuters 16th January 2019 Carmaker Ford, technology giant IBM, South Korean cathode maker LG Chem and China's Huayou Cobalt have joined forces in the first blockchain project to monitor cobalt supplies from Democratic Republic of Congo. The pilot, overseen by responsible-sourcing group RCS Global, aims to help... →

Ctrack launches small tracking devices for use on containers, packages, bikes

By: Irma Venter 15th January 2019 Vehicle tracking and telematics provider, Ctrack, has launched its BX500 and BX600 range of wireless, ultra-compact GPS tracking devices. The company says these devices are ideal for use in cars, trucks and motorbikes, such as delivery bikes, quads, golf carts, delivery vans and generators. →

Ghosn faces months in jail as another bid for bail is rejected

By: Bloomberg 15th January 2019 Carlos Ghosn’s latest bid to be released on bail was rejected by a Tokyo court, leaving the fallen car titan behind bars for at least another two months as prosecutors continue to build their case against him for financial crimes. Ghosn’s lawyers had submitted the bail application last week after... →

Electric cars seen getting cleaner even where grids rely on coal

By: Bloomberg 15th January 2019 Electric cars are better for the environment than traditional gasoline models, and that benefit will grow as power generators shift away from coal. That’s the conclusion of research by BloombergNEF, which found carbon dioxide emissions from battery-powered vehicles were about 40% lower than for... →

Global auto leaders urge Trump administration to end trade turmoil

By: Reuters 15th January 2019 Auto executives gathered in Detroit on Monday called on the Trump administration and Congress to resolve trade disputes, and end the government shutdown, saying political uncertainty is costing the industry. US trade officials are negotiating a new deal with China in hopes of avoiding new... →

Congo poll leaves uncertainty for miners at heart of EV revolution

By: Reuters 14th January 2019 The surprise outcome of Congo's election - a vote meant to bring closure to years of turmoil under President Joseph Kabila – has done little to ease uncertainty for miners and investors in a country crucial to the electric vehicle revolution. Democratic Republic of Congo is the world's leading... →

Ghosn's fresh indictment pulls him deeper into legal quagmire

By: Bloomberg 11th January 2019 Carlos Ghosn’s chances of getting out of jail anytime soon took a serious blow on Friday after he was indicted for a second time by Japanese prosecutors building their case against the fallen car executive, who was detained almost two months ago. The ousted Nissan Motor Co. chairman was indicted... →

Mazda develops world’s first cold-stamped parts using 1 310 MPa-class steel

By: Irma Venter 10th January 2019 Mazda Motor Corporation, working separately with Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation and JFE Steel Corporation, has developed the world’s first cold-stamped vehicle body parts made from 1 310 MPa-class high-strength steel. The parts are used in Mazda’s new-generation Skyactiv vehicle... →

Hilux sales top 40 000 units, Suzuki, Bentley fly, Merc takes a knock

By: Irma Venter 9th January 2019 The Toyota Hilux is yet again South Africa’s favourite vehicle, selling a whopping 40 018 units in 2018. This is up 10% on 2017 sales, at 36 422 units. →

New-vehicle sales decline by 1% in 2018, exports at record high

By: Irma Venter 8th January 2019 South African new-vehicle sales yet again retreated into negative territory in 2018, declining by 1%, to 552 190 units, down from the 557 703 units sold in 2017. The new-vehicle market in 2017 lifted its head by 1.9%, after spending the previous three years in the red. →

Ghosn says he's innocent in first appearance since arrest

By: Bloomberg 8th January 2019 Carlos Ghosn rejected prosecutor claims of financial wrongdoing in the car titan’s first public comments since his shock arrest in Japan almost two months ago. “I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations,” the former chairperson of Nissan... →

Bloodhound record attempt back on track as new funder steps in

By: Irma Venter 7th January 2019 The Bloodhound project to set a new world land-speed record is back on track. The Bloodhound Programme, the UK company behind the Bloodhound project, announced last year that it had been facing financial difficulties and that it had been put under administration. →

Elon Musk sees a future in China for Tesla, and it's muddy

By: Bloomberg 7th January 2019 Standing in a vast field of muddy wasteland that wouldn’t look out of place in an apocalyptic movie scene, Elon Musk exuded his usual mix of optimism and self-deprecating humor. Musk had trekked to these inhospitable outskirts of Shanghai on a rainy Monday to break ground on Tesla’s first... →

Musk wants to open Tesla store in his South African homeland

By: Bloomberg 11th December 2018 It’s been almost 30 years since Elon Musk left South Africa to start a new life in North America. Now, the billionaire may be about to bring his Tesla electric cars back home. “Probably end of next year,” the chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. replied to a South African fan on Twitter, who... →

South Africa's manufacturing output jumps, boosting rand

By: Reuters 11th December 2018 South Africa's manufacturing output rose more than expected in October to its highest level since June 2016, data showed on Tuesday, lifting the rand as the economy showed further signs of recovering from recession. Africa's most industrialised economy slipped into recession after contractions in... →

Ghosn, Nissan indicted in Japan as pay scandal escalates

By: Bloomberg 10th December 2018 Carlos Ghosn was indicted in Tokyo three weeks after his arrest for understating his pay at Nissan Motor, which will also face charges as Japanese prosecutors step up the investigation that has shaken the global car industry. The former Nissan chairman was also re-arrested on allegations of... →

Ghosn is said to be indicted in Japan as soon as Monday

By: Bloomberg 7th December 2018 Three weeks after his arrest at a Tokyo airport, Carlos Ghosn is set to be indicted for financial crimes as soon as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, bringing to a head the case that has sent shock waves through the global auto industry. Prosecutors are also planning to... →

Nissan to recall 150 000 cars on newly found inspection failures

By: Bloomberg 7th December 2018 Nissan Motor is planning to recall 150 000 vehicles in Japan after uncovering more failures in its final vehicle inspection process, dealing another blow to the carmaker whose former chairperson Carlos Ghosn is detained over alleged financial crimes. The new problems include inappropriate tests... →

Car, bakkie sales in the red in November, truck and export sales up

By: Irma Venter 3rd December 2018 New-vehicle sales in November declined by 4.6%, to 47 486 units, compared with the same month last year. The newest sales numbers, released on Monday, indicated that November new-passenger car sales decreased by 5.4%, to reach 31 054 units. →

New APDP has right intent, but sets challenging targets, says Ford MD

By: Irma Venter 3rd December 2018 Ford South Africa (SA) and sub-Saharan Africa is still digesting what exactly government’s revised Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) means for its operations in South Africa, says MD Neale Hill. Cabinet has approved extending the current APDP to 2035, but with a target of... →

Neale Hill

BMW joins project to improve conditions for cobalt mining in Congo

By: Reuters 29th November 2018 German carmaker BMW is exploring ways to improve working conditions for mining cobalt in Congo through a pilot project also supported by chemicals giant BASF, battery maker Samsung SDI and a development agency. Carmakers seeking to boost sales of electric cars are struggling to get their hands on... →

'Passionate' electric car owners to drive growth, Shell says

By: Bloomberg 27th November 2018 Demand for electric cars will continue to surge irrespective of oil prices as consumers buy into a technology aimed at making driving fun while being environmentally friendly, according to Royal Dutch Shell. “It’s a technology many of our customers like,” Istvan Kapitany, head of Shell’s global... →

Nonprofit manufacturing institute opens in KwaZulu-Natal to support industrialisation of Africa

By: Simone Liedtke 26th November 2018 South Africa’s newest manufacturing institute and academic research hub – the Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS) – was officially launched on Monday. TWIMS is incorporated as a nonprofit organisation and was established with funding from the Toyota South Africa Educational... →

Photo by Simone Liedtke
Toyota South Africa Motors chairperson and Toyota Europe president and CEO Dr Johan van Zyl, Toyota South Africa Educational Trust member Elisabeth Bradley, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies and GIBS dean Professor Nicola Kleyn

Toyota South Africa will not produce the new generation Corolla

By: Irma Venter 26th November 2018 Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) will not produce the new, twelfth-generation Corolla, unveiled earlier this month, the company confirmed on the weekend. “The next-generation Corolla will not be manufactured locally, but will be imported as a completely built up product,” TSAM told Engineering... →

The new, twelfth-generation Corolla

South Africa realigns auto incentives as it seeks to raise local content to 60% by 2035

By: Terence Creamer 23rd November 2018 South Africa’s revamped automotive industry framework places local content at the centre of any future support for the industry, with government having set a target of raising local content from less than 40% currently to 60% by 2035. The local-content target is outlined in the newly released... →

WesBank departs Car of the Year, seeks ‘modernised’ approach to industry competitions

By: Irma Venter 23rd November 2018 Vehicle and asset finance company WesBank is no longer the headline sponsor of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists’ (SAGMJ’s) Car of the Year (COTY) competition. WesBank has sponsored the annual COTY competition for 32 consecutive years. There have been 33 COTY competitions to date. →

Cabinet approves extension of motor industry support programme to 2035

By: Irma Venter 22nd November 2018 Cabinet announced on Thursday that it had approved the extension of the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) from 2021 to 2035. The government support programme for the domestic vehicle manufacturing industry was originally scheduled to come to an end in 2020. →

Risk of remote cyber control of vehicles growing, says cybersecurity firm VP

By: Irma Venter 22nd November 2018 The risk of remote cyber control of vehicles is growing as more cars become constantly connected to the Internet via a cellular link, says Inside Secure strategy VP Asaf Ashkenazi. Inside Secure is a France-based mobile and connected devices security solutions provider. →

Asaf Ashkenazi

Nissan ousts Ghosn as chair after arrest, NHK reports

By: Bloomberg 22nd November 2018 Nissan Motor’s board removed Carlos Ghosn as chairperson, the NHK reported, as the directors moved to contain the damage from the iconic executive’s shock arrest. Japan’s national broadcaster didn’t provide further details. A Nissan spokesman declined to comment. The board was meeting Thursday to... →

Datsun adds features to Go as competition heats up in entry-level market

By: Irma Venter 21st November 2018 Datsun South Africa has sold just under 25 000 new Datsuns onto the local market since its launch in April 2014, says Datsun South Africa marketing manager Tessa Cooke. The revived entry-level Japanese brand has two products available in South Africa, namely the Go hatchback and the Go+... →

The refreshed Datsun Go

2018 new-vehicle sales, exports flat, but 2019 offers some hope, says Naamsa

By: Irma Venter 20th November 2018 In its latest quarterly report, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) says it expects South African new-vehicle sales to reach 558 000 units this year, inching up from last year’s 557 701 units. At this point in time, the association expects only a marginal... →

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