Automotive market: focus on the annual target for 2018
ON COURSE After three quarters, the car market for new vehicles in Switzerland and Liechtenstein is heading towards the end of the year. The proportion of alternative drive systems, such as the Nissan Leaf, is encouraging. Despite a slight drop of 6197 vehicles, or 2.7 %, compared to the same period last year, the car market is on track for growth, according to auto-schweiz, the Swiss [...]
Despite a slight drop of 6197 vehicles or 2.7 % compared to the same period last year, the car market is heading in the right direction according to auto-schweiz, the Association of Swiss Automobile Importers.
In the view of auto-schweiz, the important mark of 300,000 new registrations should also be exceeded in 2018. This would be the eighth year in a row. The last two calendar months in particular will be decisive.
WLTP has an impact
September was not ideal with 20,409 registrations (-16.8 & compared to August). However, for the past month, only cars that are homologated in accordance with the new Euro 6c or 6d emissions standards have been allowed to be imported into Switzerland.
The introduction of the WLTP test bench cycle, which is closer to reality, will result in significantly more work for manufacturers than before, which will delay some type approvals.
However, nothing has changed for the race as a whole or for the auto-schweiz forecast, says the auto-schweiz media spokesperson.
Christoph Wolnik: "We are absolutely confident that we will be able to achieve our forecast this year despite the WLTP changeover. In previous years, the fourth quarter was already of great importance, especially the months of November and December. It looks similar this year."
Increasing share of alternative drives
In contrast, the share of alternative drive systems developed extremely well in September. At 9.2 %, this is higher than ever before in a single month and also significantly higher than in the same month last year (+7.4 %).
In September, 1330 or 6.5 % of the Pw alone - almost every 15th new car - had a hybrid drive. Another 2.6 percent were battery electric vehicles.
The aim of auto-schweiz is to achieve a market share of ten percent for electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2020. Other hybrids, gas and hydrogen cars should also play an important role in achieving the CO2 targets.
According to Wolnik, September was a small foretaste of the foreseeable developments in the coming years.
