Amag: A stable 2020 despite the crisis
STRONG PERFORMANCE Despite a challenging, nerve-racking Corona year, the Amag Group was able to close it with consolidated sales of four billion Swiss francs. This is 700 million less than in the previous year. Amag turned 75 on January 3, 2020, and no one would have guessed that the anniversary year would leave such a mark on Switzerland. The brands [...]
Amag turned 75 on January 3, 2020, and no one would have guessed that the anniversary year would leave such a mark on Switzerland. The Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Škoda and VW Commercial Vehicles brands were able to increase their market shares despite a shrinking overall market.
Cooperation with various partners
Morten Hannesbo, CEO Amag Group AG: "Nevertheless, Amag looks back on a solid 2020. In challenging times, the strength of Amag and the good cooperation between the various companies in the Group and our dealers and partners is evident. The workshops performed very well and the organization also managed to increase the market share of all our brands. In addition, none of our dealers had to file for bankruptcy. That speaks to the strength of our partnerships."
Cars only for a few hours or even years
Last year, the Amag Group continued to focus on new services. For example, Amag Retail launched an online sales portal: Customers can now buy their cars entirely online. Online business has led to a new job description: the virtual car salesman.
The product portfolio of Ubeeqo Switzerland includes car sharing for private customers and companies.
With Europcar, Amag has the largest offering in the classic car rental business, which is normally used for between one day and a few weeks. 2020 has had a positive impact.
The Clyde subscription model, which allows customers to use a car for between one and twelve months or even longer, also performed well. By the end of 2020, almost 900 cars had been delivered. In 2021, Clyde will be launched with a new look.
Amag Leasing, which offers a wide range of variants, can look back on a successful 2020: The number of new contracts increased by almost 65,000 despite a decline in the overall market. The portfolio grew to around 175,000 contracts.
Needs of customers can be met
Morten Hannesbo: "Today, Amag can meet almost every customer need related to motorized, individual mobility, which customers also appreciate. We were able to experience this in the past special year, as capacity utilization at our operations was very good and sales, including Porsche, were above the market average. In addition, our new offerings were well received."
Growth at all brands in the Group
The Swiss car market slumped significantly in 2020. Amag was also unable to escape this. Nevertheless, a total of 71,290 passenger cars were registered. This enabled Amag to increase its market share to 30.1 percent for the first time. Five models are in the top ten of the model rankings, and the Škoda Octavia is on the podium for the fourth time.
Volkswagen remains number 1 in Switzerland with 26,417 registrations. Škoda is in fourth place with 18,757 registrations. Audi has reached fifth place with 14 862 registrations. Seat, together with Cupra, is again in sixth place with 11 254 units. VW Commercial Vehicles recorded 8315 units, giving it a market share of 20.1 percent.
Good results with electrified models
Morten Hannesbo: "In this special year, all our brands have been able to grow, and we have also been able to sell over 4406 plug-in vehicles and a further 7676 vehicles with new drives. This is a great achievement in this period and shows how strongly positioned our brand partners are and how customer-focused they are."
Investments of around 65 million Swiss francs
Amag Automobil und Motoren AG will take over the VW and VW-NF business of Basel-based Grosspeter AG on April 1, 2021. In addition, new operations will be opened in Biel, Noranco, Emmen and Bachenbülach, and two new car body centers in Wettswil and Balerna.
At the beginning of 2021, "Amag Occasions" will be launched, a new service that will apply to all locations and used cars. A first Amag Classic location has been opened at the Schinznach-Bad site, which will take care of vintage and classic cars of all Amag brands.
CO2-neutral balance by the end of the decade
Helmut Ruhl, CFO and CEO of the Amag Group from March 1, 2021: "We will continue to nurture our core business. For many applications today, a modern diesel or gasoline engine is the right drive. And at the same time, sustainability is not a trend, but a fundamental change. We are at the dawn of the electric age. We will therefore also give ourselves a sufficiently ambitious plan to be CO2-neutral in balance sheet terms before the end of the decade."
