Global vehicle sales grew by 3.4% between January and April 2018 to 28.8 million units. The data for 53 markets from JATO (around 90% of the global total) indicates that the growth pace continues thanks to the positive economic indicators and good mood among consumers in most of the key markets. Even if almost two in three of the vehicles were sold in China, USA and Europe, most of the growth was driven by emerging countries like India, Brazil and Russia. All three of these m

Japanese automakers' U.S. sales slid mostly sideways last year, but their China business is booming. Two manufacturers, Mazda Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., finally are selling more vehicles in the world’s biggest market than in the United States. Last year, Mazda’s passenger vehicle sales in China grew 8.3 percent to 309,407 vehicles, while its U.S. sales slid 2.8 percent. Mitsubishi’s sales in China also eclipsed those in the U.S., growing 56 percent to 129,

Considering these disparate pressures on costs, there is no easy formula that OEMs or suppliers can use to improve their return on capital. The solution will likely come from a combination of actions. Part of the answer lies in consolidation, which reduces industry capital requirements by eliminating competition and combining two manufacturing and design footprints into one. To a degree, these goals explain 2016’s robust supplier M&A volume, continuing the trend of the previo

A specialized group of domestic Chinese auto manufacturers are seeing an increase in their ranks as the local auto markets continue to grow and change with the times. Not only is China at the forefront of research and development regarding clean energy and fuel efficient technology, but they are also becoming an increasingly large influence upon the international automobile industry as well. Many international car manufacturing companies conduct business in China; among them