Automotive News Europe Congress
Bentley CEO thinks CO2 debate is too emotional |
Valeo CEO: car prices are likely to rise |
Marchionne: Success brings risksFiat's successful restructuring over the past four years saved the automaker from extinction, CEO Sergio Marchionne said. But the widespread praise Fiat has earned for its turnaround also brought risks of overconfidence, he said. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Ford's Tetreault: Russian gamble paid offFord Motor's move to launch production in Russia six years ago is paying off, Jim Tetreault, Ford of Europe's manufacturing head, said. “Setting up in Russia was a gamble and we did it,” Tetreault told the Automotive News Europe Congress. “We did not want to have a joint venture partner in Russia, we wanted to keep the profits.” [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Ex-Kia exec Lievens sees 2-tier dealer networksEurope could have a two-tier system of new-car dealers in three to five years, Jean-Charles Lievens, Kia Motors Europe's former sales and marketing head, said. Lievens said some dealers will sell the cars mainly through the Internet and will become delivery, service and test-drive facilities. Other dealers will remain conventional sales locations. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Arashima: More buyers choosing green carsConsumers increasingly consider an automaker's environmental image when they buy a new car, Toyota Europe President Tadashi Arashima said. “Market research suggests that environmental image is a key differentiator for consumers,” Arashima said. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Bentley CEO thinks CO2 debate is too emotionalEurope's politicians must listen to carmakers before they OK tougher environmental laws, Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen said. Concerns about climate change are real but “it doesn't help when the debate becomes excessively emotional,” Paefgen said. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Analyst: New markets rescue mature marketsEuropean automakers will increasingly find growth and profitability in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China, Adam Jonas, head of Morgan Stanley's global automotive practice, said. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Renault to add 400 new suppliersRenault will start working with 400 new suppliers as it expands component sourcing from low-cost countries, Odile Desforges, Renault's head of purchasing, said. This planned expansion of emerging-market suppliers is expected to generate important cost savings, but will also pose numerous challenges, Desforges said. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Automakers can learn from hotel businessThe auto industry can learn a lot from the hotel sector about how to make customers happy. Peter Leger, CEO of consultants MSX International, said up to $500 million a year is wasted on measuring if car buyers are satisfied with dealers because customers don't reply truthfully or accurately to surveys. The money could be better spent on improving the customer handling process, he said. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Delphi is expanding in the EastDelphi is expanding aggressively in the East, said Ronald Pirtle, the supplier's new European head. The US-based partsmaker is boosting manufacturing operations in key central European countries and expanding in Russia, Pirtle told the Automotive News Europe Congress. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Safety rules could halt Chinese push in EuropeChinese automakers planning to sell cars in Europe could be slowed by tighter EuroNCAP safety rules. EuroNCAP will add assessment of active safety features including electronic stability control, seat belt reminders and speed limitation devices to its new-car testing program next year. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Valeo CEO: car prices are likely to riseCar prices will likely go up, reflecting the sharp increase in raw material costs, Valeo CEO Thierry Morin said. “Rising raw material costs will change the face of the world and we have to adapt,” Morin said. “The final market has not paid for it yet.” [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
VW expects to have big US diesel shareRising fuel prices are making diesels more attractive to US car buyers, said Wolfgang Steiger, VW's director of powertrain research. He said VW's diesel share in the US could reach 30 percent in 10 years. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
ANE's 25 leading women honoredEurope's top female automotive executives were honored during a gala dinner in Turin, May 19. Members of Automotive News Europe's 25 Leading Women in the European Automotive Industry said they want their career achievements to inspire today's female executives as well as tomorrow's. [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET |
Experts fear viruses from in-car Internet
Increasing Internet access in cars will bring new safety and reliability risks, experts say. Car electronic systems could be infected by viruses if vehicles are connected to the Web, Marc Drüner, managing partner at Trommsdorf + Drüner marketing consultants, said [SUB] May 26 06:01 CET
VW expects to reap big share of U.S. diesel marketBy 2018, about 30 percent of Volkswagen's U.S. sales could be diesel vehicles, says Wolfgang Steiger, VW's director of powertrain research. Rising fuel prices are making diesels more attractive to U.S. car buyers, Steiger told the Automotive News Europe Congress here last week. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 26 |
Valeo CEO Morin: Pass rising costs to consumersThe auto industry should consider raising car prices to cover higher raw material costs, Valeo CEO Thierry Morin says. "Rising raw material costs will change the face of the world, and we have to adapt to it," Morin told the Automotive News Europe Congress here last week. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 26 |
Talk of TurinMore than 400 auto industry executives gathered in Turin, Italy, last week for the Automotive News Europe Congress. The two-day event featured presentations and panel discussions on the key issues facing the European auto industry. [REG] 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 26 |
Toyota Europe plans 18 new low-CO2 carsToyota will launch 18 new or revised models in Europe by the end of next year to reduce its CO2 emissions. “Each model will offer improved fuel efficiency,” Toyota Motor Europe President Tadashi Arashima told the Automotive News Europe Congress. [REG] May 21 06:01 CET |
Marchionne says CO2 limit curve is 'nonsense'Fiat group CEO Sergio Marchionne said proposed European Commission CO2 emission limits based on a sliding scale are nonsense. The Commission is proposing that carmakers in Europe cut average CO2 emissions from new cars to 130 grams per kilometer by 2012 from about 160g/km now. [REG] 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 |
Fiat mulls new brand for low-cost carFiat is considering creating a dedicated brand for its new low-cost car, which is due to launch in 2011. “If we add another brand, we will develop it ourselves,” Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne said Tuesday night in closing the Automotive News Europe Congress. [REG] 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 21 |
Marchionne says CO2 limit curve is 'nonsense'Fiat group CEO Sergio Marchionne said proposed European Commission CO2 emission limits based on a sliding scale are nonsense. Marchionne said that the Commission's proposed 60 percent curve for allocating CO2 targets to individual automakers would penalize small carmakers. [REG] May 21 06:01 CET | UPDATED: 05/22/08 10:34 CET |
Fiat mulls new brand for low-cost carFiat is considering creating a dedicated brand for its new low-cost car, which is due to launch in 2011. “If we add another brand, we will develop it ourselves,” Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne said Tuesday night in closing the Automotive News Europe Congress. [REG] May 21 06:01 CET |
Bentley's Paefgen says CO2 debate is too emotionalEurope's politicians must listen to carmakers before they approve tougher environmental laws, Franz-Josef Paefgen, Bentley CEO, said. Concerns about climate change are real but "it doesn't help when the debate becomes excessively emotional," Paefgen told the 2008 Automotive News Europe Congress here. [REG] May 20 13:00 CET |
Toyota Europe plans 18 new low-CO2 carsToyota will launch 18 new or revised models in Europe by the end of next year to reduce its CO2 emissions. “Each model will offer improved fuel efficiency,” Toyota Motor Europe President Tadashi Arashima told the Automotive News Europe Congress. [REG] May 20 18:41 CET |
Tighter European safety rules could delay Chinese push in EuropeChinese automakers planning to sell cars in Europe could be slowed by tighter EuroNCAP safety rules. EuroNCAP will add assessment of active safety features including electronic stability control systems, seat belt reminders and speed limitation devices to its new-car testing program next year. [REG] May 20 17:34 CET |
Morgan Stanley's Jonas sees huge growth in BRIC marketsEuropean automakers will increasingly find growth and profitability in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China, Adam Jonas, head of Morgan Stanley's global automotive practice, said. Jonas said rising new-car sales in the so-called BRIC emerging markets are "more than compensating for the deceleration seen in more mature markets." [REG] May 20 17:27 CET |
Delphi steps up Eastern expansionDelphi is expanding aggressively in the East, Ronald Pirtle, the supplier's new European head, said. The U.S.-based partsmaker is boosting manufacturing operations in key central European countries and in Russia, Pirtle told the Automotive News Europe Congress. [REG] May 20 14:58 CET |
Lievens predicts two-tier dealer networksEurope could have a two-tier system of new-car dealers in three to five years, Jean-Charles Lievens, Kia Europe's former sales and marketing head, said. Lievens said some dealers will sell the cars mainly through the Internet and will become delivery, service and test-drive facilities. [REG] May 20 11:42 CET |
Delphi steps up Eastern expansionDelphi is expanding aggressively in the East, says Ronald Pirtle, the supplier's new European head. The U.S.-based partsmaker is boosting manufacturing operations in key central European countries and in Russia, Pirtle told the Automotive News Europe Congress. [REG] 8:58 am U.S. ET | May 20 |
Valeo CEO: Rising costs should be passed to buyersThe auto industry should consider raising car prices to cover higher raw material costs, Valeo CEO Thierry Morin said. "Rising raw material costs will change the face of the world and we have to adapt to it," Morin told the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin. [REG] 12:13 pm U.S. ET | May 19 | UPDATED: 5/19/08 4:49 p.m. EDT |
Ford's Tetreault outlines Russian challengesWestern automakers face substantial challenges when they set up factories in Russia, Jim Tetreault, Ford of Europe's manufacturing head, said. Rising labor costs and a poorly developed infrastructure mean it isn't easy to be a success in Russia, Tetreault told the Automotive News Europe Congress today. [REG] 10:45 am U.S. ET | May 19 |
VW expects big diesel share in U.S.About 30 percent of Volkswagen's U.S. sales could be diesels by 2018, Wolfgang Steiger, VW's director of powertrain research, said. Rising fuel prices are making diesels more attractive to U.S. car buyers, Steiger told the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin. [REG] 11:54 am U.S. ET | May 19 |
Valeo CEO: Rising costs should be passed to buyersThe auto industry should consider raising car prices to cover higher raw material costs, Valeo CEO Thierry Morin said. "Rising raw material costs will change the face of the world and we have to adapt to it," Morin told the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin. [REG] May 19 18:13 CET |
Desforges: Renault benefits from low-cost sourcingOngoing globalization of the supply chain will be a key tool as European automakers seek to reduce costs and meet their long-term objectives, Odile Desforges, Renault's senior vice president purchasing, said. "The increasing complexity of globalization can be tiring, but it offers many opportunities," Desforges told the Automotive News Europe Congress. [REG] May 19 16:06 CET |
VW expects big diesel share in U.S.About 30 percent of Volkswagen's U.S. sales could be diesels by 2018, Wolfgang Steiger, VW's director of powertrain research, said. Rising fuel prices are making diesels more attractive to U.S. car buyers, Steiger told the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin. [REG] May 19 17:54 CET |
Renault plans four new Logan variantsRenault will add four extra body styles to its Logan range by 2012, Odile Desforges, Renault's head of purchasing, said. Renault currently makes five variants of the Logan low-cost car. [REG] May 19 17:23 CET |
Ford's Tetreault outlines Russian challengesWestern automakers face substantial challenges when they set up factories in Russia, Jim Tetreault, Ford of Europe's manufacturing head, said. Rising labor costs and a poorly developed infrastructure mean it isn't easy to be a success in Russia, Tetreault told the Automotive News Europe Congress today. [REG] May 19 16:45 CET |
ANFIA showcases its concept cars |
Benvenuti! Join us in Turin
I invite you to join us at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin May 19-20. April 28 07:33 CET
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE CONGRESS
Focus on green issues at ANE Congress
Many top executives speaking at this year's Automotive News Europe Congress will focus on the environmental challenges facing the auto industry. April 14 06:01 CET
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE CONGRESS
Marchionne, Arashima will speak in Turin
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE CONGRESS
Suppliers: Rough times will continue
Suppliers want more business with virtually all automakers, but are less optimistic about getting the work than they were a year ago. That is one finding from the third annual Automotive News Europe/SupplierBusiness Supplier Relations Survey. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET
Russia has 'peculiar' car needsRussia has joined China as one of the most attractive car markets in the world, according to a panel of experts on Russia. “Russians are keen to buy everything they see,” said Matthew Donnelly, CEO of the Rolf Group of Companies, Russia's largest car importer and distributor. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
Multibrand dealers OKAutomakers reluctantly accept that the number of dealers who sell more than one brand is growing. Jens Nagl, Hyundai's European dealer network development manager, said multibrand dealers offer a chance to be represented in countries with low local potential such as Switzerland and Scandinavia. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
Congress honors
The Automotive News Europe Congress featured awards for Automotive News Europe Woman of the Year, and outstanding shareholder returns. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET
CO2 goal worries ArpAutomakers are facing tough, expensive choices as the European Commission pushes a plan to cut CO2 emissions to an average of 130 grams per kilometer in 2012, Volvo Car CEO Fredrik Arp said. “Alternative powertrains have to prove themselves and we need to explore many avenues,” Arp said. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
Asensio to women in auto industry: Be yourselfWhen Anne Asensio was named design director for Renault's small and medium cars in the 1990s she though it was a sign of positive things to come. “I expected more women to follow me,” the native of France said. That did not happen. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
De Meo: Fiat is 'agent of change'Fiat Automobiles is thrusting itself into the digital world. “We see ourselves as an agent of change in a static automotive retailing environment,” said Luca De Meo, Fiat Automobiles CEO. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
Conti knows how to surviveContinental CEO Manfred Wennemer says the No. 1 rule for automotive suppliers is simple and easy to follow. “Costs have to come down year after year and if you don't want to play by this rule you have to get out,” he said. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
TPCA becomes more CzechToyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile, the joint venture between Toyota and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, is becoming more Czech and more cost effective. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
GM goals: East volume, West profitsGeneral Motors has different strategies for new-car sales in eastern and western Europe. In the East, where car sales are growing fast, GM expects a huge increase in unit sales led by its Chevrolet low-cost brand. In the West, where the new-car market is flat, the carmaker wants to make more profit per vehicle for its Opel/Vauxhall brands. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET |
Chinese will be slow to succeed in Europe
Chinese automakers will have a harder time establishing themselves in Europe than Japanese or Korean automakers did, said Max Warburton, London-based head of automotive research for investment bank UBS. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE CONGRESS
Charles: Carmakers need virtual showrooms
Carmakers will need virtual showrooms to exhibit their expanding lineups, said Bernard Charles, CEO of software provider Dassault Systemes. “Existing showrooms will not be large enough to accommodate all the new models,” Charles said. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE CONGRESS
Alapont: High costs pose problems for EU
Wages in Europe, North America and Japan must come down to be competitive with “best-cost countries” where manufacturing is growing, Federal-Mogul CEO Jose Maria Alapont said. “We cannot sustain a system of high-cost labor and excess capacity,” Alapont said. [SUB] July 9, 2007 06:01 CET