All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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Toyota has produced more than 300 million cars

In 1935, the Toyota G1 pickup was produced. It was the first car of the Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer, and since then, as one of the largest car manufacturers ever, Toyota has produced more than 300 million cars.

In its 88-year long history, Toyota has produced most of its cars in Japan (180 million), but production in other countries (120 million) shows how popular the manufacturer is worldwide. Its first plant outside of Japan was built in 1962 in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. Over the next eight years, Toyota established its global presence, delivering its millionth vehicle.

In 1966, Toyota introduced a car that in just eight years, until 1974, became their best-selling car worldwide, and one of the best-selling cars in the world ever, the Toyota Corolla. In total production, Corolla makes 53.39% of total cars produced.

Toyota’s position in the global market is extremely strong and it is unlikely that anyone will take the throne of the largest car manufacturer in the near future. The demand for their cars is increasing, and last year the Japanese company was the largest car manufacturer in the world for the third year in a row with 10.5 cars produced. That position could be further strengthened by the concepts presented recently at the Japan Mobility Show, which are an electric pickup, SUV and sports car.

Source: Toyota

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The future of used electric cars

The production of new electric cars is expanding, but the increase in production costs causes higher prices, so new electric cars have become less available to more customers. Some countries, such as China, use subsidies to help manufacturers be more competitive in the market, making their cars more accessible to more customers. But what about used electric cars?

At the Oxford EV Summit, Tesla UK Sales and Delivery Manager, Michael Oates, spoke on the topic of used electric vehicles and their position in the future. He believes that used electric vehicles will play an important role in the transition to sustainable forms of transportation.

“After the early adopters of electric cars, we need to start getting in front of those for whom an electric car is not necessarily a choice for their next (car) purchase. That’s why I believe used cars are absolutely crucial to ensure that as many people as possible can experience owning and driving an electric car, ” said Michael Oates.

According to Cox Automotive, demand for used electric vehicles in the US is on the rise, primarily due to their cost. In the UK, sales of used electric vehicles rose by 81 percent to 30,645 units.

Certainly, anyone who wants to buy an electric car in the future should also consider buying a used EV.

Source: CNBC

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Will Saudi Arabia be the new leader in EV production?

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer, and a few years ago it announced that it wanted to transform its economy by the end of the decade. Vision 2030 is based on “a vibrant society, a prosperous economy and an ambitious nation”. Development of the financial sector, digitization and privatization program of state-owned properties to attract foreign investment, and the vision includes a plan to make the Kingdom number one in the production of electric cars. This is possible thanks to the huge investment capacity achieved through the sale of gas and oil, and recently the Kingdom signed an agreement with Lucid Group on the construction of the first ever facility for the production of electric vehicles in KSA.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia stated that this is only the beginning of what can be expected in the future, and the opening of the first Lucid Group factory will enable the realization of the recently signed agreement with the Government of Saudi Arabia on the sale of 100,000 vehicles in the next decade. The factory will be built in Jeddah and will have a capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year.

“Saudi Arabia is on track to become a global leader in electric vehicles, aligning with its ambitious carbon reduction and renewable energy targets,” said Michael Perschke, CEO of German electric vehicle company Quantron AG.

Mordor Intelligence is a market research company, and according to their research, the market in the Middle East and Africa region will double in the next four years from the current $40.25 million to $93.10 million.

How serious the Kingdom is in its intentions to become a leader in the production of electric vehicles is also shown by the first Saudi brand of electric vehicles, Ceer, which was launched by the Saudi State Fund in cooperation with the Taiwanese company Foxconn. The plan is to produce 170,000 Ceer vehicles per year.

In 2021, the Saudi authorities pointed out that they want 30 percent of vehicles in Riyadh to be electric by the end of the decade, and according to Goldman Sachs, half of the sales of new cars worldwide by 2035 will be EVs.

Source: Lucid Group