2023-08-06 02:51:09
The automotive sector faces a future marked by several challenges that determine the recovery of the market and turnover: leaving behind the negative trend that they have had in the last three years, to approach at least one million vehicles sold; achieve the standardization of the supply chain and end the problems of shortage of components -especially microchips and semiconductors-; to recover profit margins –very pressured in recent years– and for costs to be adjusted definitively.
At least the production and export figures maintain a positive trend. Despite the fact that the production of automobiles in the Spanish plants registered a very slight upturn last June, of 1.4%, with 235,749 units, the accumulated figure for the first six months registers a growth of 16.1% with 1,317,639 units. A positive figure, but which still represents 14.3% less than in 2019, that is, the figures from before the pandemic have not been recovered. According to the Anfac manufacturers association, the first half of the year shows an improvement in production stability, previously affected by the pandemic and the microchip crisis, which has managed to recover thanks to the reduction of supply bottlenecks. of raw materials and components –although the shortage has not yet been resolved–.
By type of vehicle, the manufacture of passenger cars and SUVs registered 189,283 units in June, 1.1% more than in the same month last year. For its part, the production of commercial and industrial vehicles increased by 2.8% compared to June of the previous year, with 46,466 units. It also stands out that, between January and June, the production of electrified vehicles exceeds 13% of the total national manufacturing.
It is especially important, and its figures are very positive, the analysis of exports, fundamental for the motor sector in Spain, since they have stretched over 90% of total production. It should be noted that, during the month of June, a total of 211,984 vehicles were sent outside our borders, which represents an increase of 10.1% compared to the same month last year. In the accumulated year, exports have experienced an increase of 22.1% to reach 1,194,048 sold abroad, which means that practically nine out of every ten cars manufactured in Spain so far this year have been sold in abroad.
Specifically, exports accounted for 90.6% of the cars manufactured, which contrasts with the low volume of sales that the domestic market still has. Regarding export destinations, Europe represented 91.5% of total production, 0.3 percentage points more than in June 2022. Among the main destinations are Germany, Francis, Turkey, and Great Britain. Just like last month, the European markets continue to recover from the previous year, so if production remains stable and there is no break in the supply chain, it will continue to rise in the second half of the year.
The electrification problem
In June, 49,382 cars were produced with zero-emission or very low-emission engines, that is, those that are included within the denomination of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, conventional hybrids, natural gas and LPG. This figure represents an increase of 85% compared to June 2022, when 26,625 vehicles were manufactured. The production of this type of motorization represents a quota of 21% of the total in the month of June. With regard to the electrified, they have represented 12.8% of the total production, which represents an increase of 3.4 points compared to the same month last year. In June, 30,136 electrified vehicles were manufactured, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles, of which 25,056 were pure electric or plug-in hybrids, which represents an increase of 23.8% compared to last year.
However, Spain follows the tail in electrification throughout Europe. For this reason, from Anfac they demand that the sale of electrified vehicles be promoted and the development of charging points be accelerated, the number of which continues to be far behind the main European markets.
The manufacturers maintain their objective of improving the figures achieved in 2022, when 78,312 electrified units were sold and 18,128 public access charging points were reached. “In 2022, Spain complied with the minimum electrification requirements to reach the annual emissions reduction milestones, estimated by Anfac at 120,000 sales of new electrified vehicles and a total of 45,000 charging points,” José López-Tafall, director, lamented a few days ago. General of Anfac. “It is essential to accelerate electrification so as not to be left behind.”
For the general director of Anfac, the behavior of foreign trade is positive because “the markets to which we export our vehicles maintain strong demand.” Something that contrasts with the state of the internal market, which is still far from pre-pandemic levels. In this context, he insists that “the new government must prioritize boosting our factories and the recovery of the market”, a necessary condition to recover activity and advance in decarbonisation. “We are -says Lopez-Tafall- in the middle of a European and global struggle to attract investment, both to manufacture electrified vehicles and to produce batteries. It is therefore key for the Spanish market to recover and also for Spain to position itself as a car-friendly country. So is a clear policy of support for industry and that the new industrial policy prioritises, already with national funds, the support we have had from European funds. Without forgetting that last year, the car contributed almost 40,000 million via taxes to the public coffers.
For their part, exporters of equipment and components increased exports to 9,028 million euros, representing growth of 26.2% in the interannual rate.
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