All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Growth in demand for new cars in Europe

After the number of new vehicles sold in Europe stagnated due to a lack of components, the latest data shows that the market is starting to recover and at a high speed. According to data, 787,626 new cars were registered in Europe in August, which is an increase of more than 21%.

This period of the year usually records a smaller number of vehicles sold, but despite this, in the eighth month a growth of 21 percent was recorded compared to the same period last year. The biggest growth was recorded in the three largest markets: Germany (+37.3%), France (+24.3%) and Italy (+11.9%), while when it comes to individual cars, the highest demand was for the Tesla Model Y, VW T-Roc and Peugeot 208.

When it comes to electric cars, they recorded a growth of 118.1% (165,165 vehicles), which is 21% of total sales (a growth of 11.6% compared to August last year). The highest growth was recorded in Germany with an incredible 170.7%, while the only country with a deficit was Malta (-22.6%).

Speaking of brands, Tesla delivered over 34,000 cars in August, which is a 242.2% increase compared to last year when this number was under 10,000 cars. The highest demand, the fifth time in eight months, was for the Tesla Model Y with 19,725 deliveries.

Source: European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association

News

2024 Citroën C5 X Hypnos Limited Edition

Ahead of the recent International Mobility Show Germany, Citroën presented the limited edition C5 X Hypnos. This car exudes comfort allowing complete peace and enjoyment of driving.

The car is finished in dark blue color (Eclipse) with infrared graphic elements. Although the exterior is impeccable, the interior attracts the most attention. The bright and spacious cabin creates a calm and soothing atmosphere. The Advanced Comfort heated seats are upholstered in bright perforated leather with decorative stitching and infrared Hypnos lettering, while the headrests are trimmed in gray Alcantara.

Bright leather combined with comfortable TEP material covers the center armrest, sides of the center console and door panels. There’s also original decorative stitching with a double arrow motif on the door panels and seats, Karuun decoration with a light wood effect on the door panels and dashboard adds a touch of nature and luxury. The warm, elegant, spacious and comfortable atmosphere that immediately fills you with a sense of peace is complemented by a glass skylight, Hi-Fi system and ventilation.

C5 X Hypnos is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine combined with an electric motor with a total power of 222 hp (165 kW). Power is sent to the front wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. It is equipped with a 12.4 kWh battery that enables an electric range of 50 km (31 miles), and Onyx Black 19-inch AeroX alloy wheels wrapped in Goodyear tires.

This limited edition will hit the market in 2024 and will cost €58,400 ($63,047) in France.

Source: Stellantis

Gallery:

2024 Citroën C5 X Hypnos Limited Edition
News

Volvo will stop producing diesel cars from 2024

It is well known that all major car manufacturers have decided to stop offering cars with ICE by the end of the decade, and switch to the production of fully electric cars. According to the latest information, it seems that Volvo has decided on a radical move, announcing that it will end the production of all remaining diesel models by the beginning of 2024.

“Electric powertrains are our future, and superior to combustion engines: they generate less noise, less vibration, less servicing costs for our customers and zero tailpipe emissions. We’re fully focused on creating a broad portfolio of premium, fully electric cars that deliver on everything our customers expect from a Volvo – and are a key part of our response to climate change,” says Jim Rowan, Chief Executive at Volvo Cars.

Diesel cars used to be in high demand, at least in Europe. In 2015, more than 50 percent of new cars sold in Europe were diesels. But since then, their demand has been falling rapidly, and today it is only 14 percent.

2019 was the last year when the majority of Volvo cars sold were diesels. After that, a big drop in sales of these cars was recorded every year, and last year it was only 8.9 percent. According to sales data for last month, 33 percent of Volvo cars sold were fully electric or plug-in hybrid models, while it is not known how many of the remaining 67 percent were diesel cars.

Source: Volvo