In 2019,car sales in the major markets of the world have grown,despite the global economic uncertainty that has been present in its wake.Results from sales shows that Japanese carmaker Toyota was the world’s largest seller of new vehicles in 2019 with 10.46 million units sold globally.Greater China,comprising the mainland,Hong Kong and Taiwan, was its largest market with 2.5 million vehicles sold. This accounted for approaching one quarter of all its global sales.
Japanese automaker Honda,followed with global sales of 5.25 million units in 2019,while German Volkswagen was the third-best-selling automaker in 2019,with 5.04 million vehicles.Collectively, the top three automakers accounted for around one-third of new vehicles sold across the world, demonstrating their large presence across different markets.
The remaining sales, however, were made up of the other major players. South Korea’s Hyundai and Kia, which operate under the Hyundai Motor Group umbrella, sold a combined 4.4 million vehicles in 2019.US carmaker General Motors sold about 4 million vehicles,followed by Ford and Nissan, which each sold just over 3 million vehicles in 2019.Germany’s BMW and Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, sold a combined 4.7 million vehicles.
What is Driving the Numbers?
The top automakers in the world have been able to increase their sales over the years due to their long-term strategies, robust product portfolio and technology innovation. For example, Toyota is one of the oldest automakers in the world and has been investing heavily into research and developments. This has allowed the company to offer more fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as cutting-edge safety features.
Further, automakers have also been introducing electric vehicles in the market as they look to comply with stringent emission norms. Volkswagen and Hyundai have both been investing heavily in the EV space and have been able to gain market share in 2019. Moreover, the increasing demand for SUVs in the market has also been driving the sales of some automakers, with Honda and GM being notable beneficiaries.
Additionally, automakers are leveraging technology and the digital transformation to provide better customer experience, which has helped boost the sales. Additionally, the presence of automakers in multiple geographies, with easy access to financing schemes and attractive discounts have helped to boost the sales.
Challenges Going Forward
There are a number of challenges looming ahead for automakers,such as trade disputes and currency volatility,which could potentially impact vehicle sales going forward. Automakers may also face competitive pressure from emerging markets,as companies such as China’s Geely and India’s Tata Motors aim to tap into different geographies. Moreover, pressing other issues such as climate change could lead to stringent emission norms,which may require automakers to alter their product mix and invest more in sustainable mobility solutions.
The advent of autonomous technologies and the uptake of electric vehicles could also impact the sales of conventional vehicles going forward. It remains to be seen how the leading automakers tackle these issues and respond to the ever-evolving customer needs.
Joint Ventures
Automakers are increasingly forming joint ventures to help them gain market share in different regions. For example, Toyota has a joint venture with Mazda,which helps both companies to benefit from each other’s strong presence in different markets. Similarly, BMW and Daimler, which together own luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce,have formed a joint venture to develop an electric car.
Moreover, automakers are also teaming up to take advantage of the growing demand for self-driving vehicles. Hyundai has already entered into a partnership with tech giant Baidu and is also in talks with other companies such as Uber, which is looking to introduce driverless cars in the near future. These collaborations could help automakers to tap into other markets and broaden their offerings.
Government Subsidies
Governments of some countries such as China,India and the US have introduced programmes to promote electric vehicles.For instance, the Chinese government introduced subsidies for electric vehicle owners, in addition to incentives for carmakers such as reduced registration tax and purchase tax. Similarly, the Indian government has been offering incentives on electric cars, including lower interest rates and purchase tax while countries such as the US also have introduced tax credits.
These government programmes are having a positive impact on the uptake of electric vehicles and have helped boost the sales of automakers such as China’s BYD and Tesla of the US.Moreover, the introduction of these incentives has allowed automakers to reduce the price of electric vehicles, thus making them more attractive to the customers.
Emerging Business Models
Carmakers are also investing heavily into the development of new business models such as shared mobility, which could provide them with incremental revenue opportunities. For example, Toyota has already introduced its Mobility Services Platform which provides car-sharing and ride-hailing services. Moreover, the company has set up a subsidiary named Kinto which focuses on offering of car-sharing services.
Additionally, some carmakers are also investing into the development of autonomous driving technologies and services.Ford is already testing its self-driving cars in different regions, while Toyota is also investing heavily into the development of autonomous driving technologies as part of its e-Palette initiative.
These new and emerging business models have the potential to revolutionise the automotive industry and can give carmakers an edge in the competitive market.
New Markets
Automakers are looking to tap into the new markets and expand their customer base,particularly in the markets of the developing countries such as China and India. For instance, Ford is looking to expand its presence in India with the launch of its mid-sized SUV EcoSport and Kuga, while Nissan has been investing heavily into the development of localised products.
Moreover, German automakers such as Volkswagen and Daimler have also set up joint ventures in China to take advantage of the growing demand for new vehicles in the world’s largest car market. Moreover, Chinese carmakers such as Geely, which owns Volvo, are also looking to expand their presence in other countries such as Europe, which could further complicate the competitive landscape.
This expansion into new markets could help the leading automakers to gain market share, while also allowing them to leverage their strong brand presence and relationships with customers.
What the Experts Are Saying?
Industry experts have been generally positive about the performance of the leading automakers in 2019. They believe that despite the global economic challenges and trade uncertainty, the companies have been able to increase their sales due to their long-term strategies and technology innovation.
Moreover, experts also believe that the upsurge in the demand for electric vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles could lead to increased competition in the market. Though,automakers with strong presence across different markets may be better-placed to address the changing dynamics of the automotive industry.
However, some experts have also expressed concerns over the long-term sustainability of the automakers.They point towards the need for companies to ameliorate their margins and cut costs in order to remain viable in the long-run. The emergence of new players in the market could also put pressure on the established automakers to innovate and offer more cost-effective solutions.
Conclusion
In 2019, Toyota was the world’s largest seller of new vehicles, with GM, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai and Honda among the other companies in the top ten. The companies have been able to increase their sales due to their robust product portfolio,technology innovation and presence in different regions.However,they may face increased competition from the emerging markets and need to invest more in the development of alternative fuel vehicles.