German manufacturers still expanding in USA
Domestic market remains at 2011 level up to July – soaring exports and production
Berlin, 2 August 2012. In July 2012, 248,000 new passenger cars were registered in Germany. This corresponds to a fall of 5 per cent. In the first seven months of this year, the domestic car market totalled nearly 1.9 million units, thus matching last year’s level. Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), underlined: "There are more and more indications that private customers in particular are becoming more reticent in view of the uncertainty in Western Europe. That is a clear signal to politicians to restore lasting confidence in the solution to the state debt crisis in the euro zone. Then there will be every chance that the German passenger car market will also remain a rock of stability in the Western European automotive market.”
The German automotive industry is benefiting from its global orientation. Due most of all to success on the demanding US market, the German OEMs pushed up their exports by almost 3 per cent (after adjustment) in July to 342,200 passenger cars. In July alone German brands sold 101,000 new automobiles, i.e. nearly 15 per cent more light vehicles (passenger cars and light trucks), in the USA than they did in the same month last year. The total light vehicle market has grown by 9 per cent. In the passenger car sector the German manufacturers sold 19 per cent more vehicles in July, while the overall US car market increased by 15 per cent.
Since the beginning of the year 692,700 light vehicles from German brands have been sold in the USA. That represents growth of around one fifth. The market as a whole has expanded by 14 per cent in the same period. "In the United States we are therefore still growing faster than the market itself. Our manufacturers’ "innovation offensive” is paying off. The customers on the North American market also appreciate the great fuel efficiency of our models,” Wissmann said. In the passenger car segment the German OEMs have improved their market share by 0.4 percentage points to 12 per cent since January. This means that one new car in eight sold in the USA bears a German badge.
Incoming orders from abroad show that the world automobile market is continuing to grow. In July German brands recorded a year-on-year rise in foreign orders of 16 per cent. Since January foreign incoming orders have climbed by 7 per cent.
Domestic production of passenger cars also increased in July. At 457,700, a good 5 per cent more new cars rolled off the production lines than in the same month last year. So over the first seven months, production has equalled the high level in 2011.
| July 2012 | January - July 2012 | ||||||
| Passenger cars *) | Volume | ± in % | Volume | ± in % | |||
| New registrations | 248.000 | -5 | 1.882.400 | 0 | |||
| of which | |||||||
| German makes incl. group makes | 177.200 | -6 | 1.328.100 | 0 | |||
| Foreign makes | 70.800 | -2 | 554.300 | 0 | |||
| Exports **) | 342.200 | 3 | 2.495.400 | 0 | |||
| Production **) | 457.700 | 5 | 3.294.500 | 0 | |||
| *) Estimate | |||||||
| **) The previous year`s figures have been adjusted because of the change of the local share in value added. | |||||||
