Wednesday 29 April 2009


THE AUTO INDUSTRY'S NOT DEAD YET. IT'S JUST HEADED EAST, TO CHINA

Marcus Gee

The Globe and Mail, April 29, 2009

Rather than cry into its maotai, China is using the economic crisis to steal a march on the industrialized West, catching up to and even jumping ahead of its rivals. Nowhere is that more evident than in the auto sector. While Western auto makers flirt with bankruptcy, Chinese companies are ringing up big sales and churning out dozens of new models, from tiny electrics to hulking limousines.

"Somebody forgot to tell China's car makers about the global economic crisis," writes Jack Perkowski, an American businessman who built an auto-parts company in China. "Nearly all are targeting big sales increases in 2009."

Mr. Perkowski runs down their gung-ho plans on his blog, Managing the Dragon: Chery, the country's biggest auto maker, is introducing 15 models on three new platforms. Another industry leader, Geely, plans to get into SUVs, MPVs and mid- to high-end passenger cars. BYD, the booming technology company, plans to increase production to 400,000 vehicles this year. Chang'an is raising production 30 per cent to half a million units.

In North America and Europe, auto sales have crashed. In China, they reached a monthly record of 1.11 million vehicles in March, up 5 per cent from last year. It was the third consecutive month that sales in China actually exceeded those in the home of mass-produced automobiles, the United States.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers predicts sales will rise 9 per cent in 2009, reaching 10.2 million units. At that rate, China could overtake the United States as the world's largest auto market. It is also expected to pass Japan to become the biggest vehicle producer this year.

(…) [artículo aquí]

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