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Japan Today
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Today
Tesla EU sales slump 52% in April: trade group
The logo of US company Tesla displayed at the Paris Motor Show at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris on October 16, 2024 By Taimaz SZIRNIKS Sales of cars made by Elon Musk's Tesla slumped by more than half in April as Chinese electric carmakers saw their share surge, the continent's manufacturing association said Tuesday. While sales of electric cars rose overall in the 27 European Union nations, Tesla's share fell dramatically amid the spotlight on Musk's work with U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. company's aging range. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said Tesla sales in April fell to 5,475 cars, down 52.6 percent from the same month last year. In the first four months of 2025, Tesla sales have fallen 46.1 percent against the same period last year to 41,677 cars. Once the standout leader in electric car sales, Tesla was overtaken in April by 10 rivals including Volkswagen, BMW, Renault and Chinese maker BYD, according to JATO Dynamics consultants. Tesla announced in April that its worldwide sales in the first quarter had fallen 13 percent, increasing pressure on Musk, though the company partly blamed lost production amid an upgrade to its Model Y standard-bearer. Musk has since announced he will reduce his work helping Trump slash U.S. government spending and last week said that Tesla sales are "doing well". Skoda's new Elroq led electric car sales while Tesla's Model Y, the former frontrunner, came ninth. Sales of electric cars overall rose 26.4 percent from last year to take a 15.3 percent share of the market in April, according to the ACEA. The rise is uneven across Europe as different governments and manufacturers give different incentives to buy electric. Germany, Belgium, Italy and Spain have seen a major rise while electric car sales in France have fallen. "The share of battery-electric vehicles is slowly getting momentum, but growth remains incremental and uneven across EU countries," said Sigrid de Vries, ACEA's director general. "In order for battery-electric vehicles to become a mainstream choice, it is essential that governments continue to implement the necessary enabling conditions, such as purchase and fiscal incentives, recharging infrastructure and electricity prices. "The sustained popularity of hybrid vehicles among consumers also shows the merit of keeping a technology-neutral approach," she added. Sales of hybrid cars with a small electric battery still dominate the European market, rising 20.8 percent since the start of the year, while petrol-only cars have fallen 20.6 percent over the same time. The Volkswagen group remains the top brand in Europe, with sales up 2.9 percent in April. But Chinese brands were a major factor in the popularity of electric and hybrid cars, according to JATO and have 7.9 percent of the European market. The BYD, MG, Xpeng and Leapmotor brands saw sales rise 59 percent over the year in electric and hybrid sales, while other manufacturers put on 26 percent. JATO expert Felipe Munoz said it remains to be seen whether the European Union imposes tariffs on Chinese hybrid cars as it has for electric vehicles. © 2025 AFP
Japan Today
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Today
Smart driving new front in China car wars despite fatal crash
A fatal accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 raised concerns over safety and the advertising of cars as being capable of 'autonomous driving' By Rebecca BAILEY and Taimaz SZIRNIKS Intelligent driving features are the new battleground in China's merciless car market, with competition spurring brands to world-leading advances -- but a recent fatal crash has seen the government intervene to put the brakes on runaway enthusiasm. Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) help with tasks ranging from cruise control to parking and collision avoidance, with the ultimate aim being a fully self-driving car. Automakers are pouring investment into their development, especially in the world's biggest car market China, which skews young and tech-savvy. "Ten years ago, only 15 percent of customers said they would change car because of an intelligent cockpit -- today it's 54 percent," Giovanni Lanfranchi of EV firm Zeekr said. Almost 60 percent of cars sold in China last year had level-two ADAS features -- where the driver is still in control but there is continuous assistance -- or above, according to an AlixPartners report released last week. The features "are emerging as a key competitive tool", said the consultancy's Yvette Zhang. Some firms use their own proprietary technology, like start-up Xpeng and consumer electronics-turned-car company Xiaomi, while others are cooperating with tech giants such as Huawei. Such software is being developed in Europe and North America too. But in a survey of hundreds of global auto executives surveyed by AlixPartners, two-thirds said they believed China led the world in the field. "The collection and processing of data, and the availability of software and machine-learning talent" is difficult to replicate, the report said. The technology is not immune from the price wars that are a key feature of the Chinese market. In February, domestic EV giant BYD announced it would release its "God's Eye" driving system on nearly all its cars, including on some models priced below $10,000. Then came a fatal accident in March involving a Xiaomi SU7 that had been in assisted driving mode just before it crashed. The accident, in which three college students died, raised concerns over safety and the advertising of cars as being capable of "autonomous driving". The issue is an industry-wide one -- Tesla's U.S.-released "Full Self-Driving" capability, for example, is still meant to be used under driver supervision. "The price war has just been so brutal, companies are desperate to find any way to set themselves apart," said Tom Nunlist, associate director for tech and data policy at Trivium China. "So the question is have they been over-promising on features and releasing things as quickly as possible, for the purposes of fighting this commercial battle." China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology seems to share those concerns. After the crash, it held a meeting with leading automakers and other key players in which it made clear that safety rules would be more tightly enforced. It warned automakers to test systems rigorously, "define system functional boundaries... and refrain from exaggerated or false advertising". Reports said it will also crack down on the practice of improving ADAS via remote software updates. As the massive industry show Auto Shanghai kicked off last week, the shift in gear was obvious. "In a sharp U-turn from just two months ago, carmakers have taken a low profile in terms of autonomous driving functions, but are emphasizing safety instead," said UBS' Paul Gong in a note. "Safety is the ultimate premium of new energy vehicles," a sign at BYD's booth read. At the bustling Xiaomi booth, information boards touted the SU7's color choices, chassis and hardware -- but AFP saw no mention of ADAS at all. "The autonomous driving function marketing race seems to have halted, at least temporarily," wrote Gong. Zhang Yu, managing director of Shanghai-based consultancy Automotive Foresight, told AFP that he thought the crash was "only a setback in marketing terms, which is helpful for a healthy development" of the area. "This accident was not related to tech or the system itself, it more concerns the ignorance of ADAS and boundary of autonomous driving," he added. The technology itself continues to progress. "That's why this is becoming a pressing issue because car companies are going to be wanting to release these features," Trivium's Nunlist said. However, a truly autonomous car -- level five on the scale -- is "certainly not imminent", he added, predicting "very hard last-mile problems". © 2025 AFP
