All articles by bcusack

Taiwan pressed to prioritise US chip shortage

The US Commerce Department is pressing Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers to prioritise the needs of US automakers as the global shortage continues to affect car production worldwide.

ASEAN sales just slightly lower in Q1

Sales of new vehicles in southeast Asia’s six largest markets declined by just 0.2% to 692,961 units in the first quarter of 2021 from 694,471 units in the same period of last year, according to data exclusively collected for just-auto from local industry sources including vehicle manufacturers, trade associations and government departments.

Tesla strengthens government liaison team in China

South Korean sales fall by 7% in April, overseas jump

Domestic sales by South Korea’s five main automakers combined declined by 6.6% to 135,581 units in April 2021 from 145,141 units a year earlier, according to preliminary data released individually by the companies.

Toyota’s global sales fell 5.1% in FY2020

Toyota Motor Corporation sales worldwide fell by just 5.1% to 9,919,759 units in the fiscal year ending on 31st March 2021, a year in which economies around the world were severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTERVIEW – Audi board member Hildegard Wortmann

Audi AG’s Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing, Hildegard Wortmann, began her career in FMCG and fashion. In 1998 she joined BMW to re-launch the Mini as Head of Brand Communication. from 2016 she took over overall responsibility for the BMW brand, including BMW i. Later she was head of BMW sales for the Asia Pacific region. She moved to her present position at Audi on 1 July 2019. just-auto had a video call with her on the day of the launch of the Audi Q4 e-Tron and Q4 e-Tron Sportback.

UK carmakers claim government Covid-19 furlough cash amid chip shortage

UK-based carmakers forced to halt or reduce production in recent months have been placing workers on Covid-19 furlough and claiming their wages from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, according to newly published government figures.

Semiconductor shortage boosts ASML profits 241%

ASML Holding has reported a 241% surge in year-on-year profits after the global chip shortage put its lithography machines in high demand among semiconductor suppliers.

Audi keeps the diesel faith with Q7 50 TDI

Even if it’s the fuel that keeps falling from favour, Europe’s biggest car maker continues to invest in diesel. Audi’s latest Q7 can now be ordered with the Volkswagen Group’s 3.0-litre V6, newly compliant with Euro 6d and with more power to boot.

Peugeot goes after Tiguan with updated 3008

It took more than four years for the Peugeot 3008 to be facelifted and when the changes came a few months ago, they were far from major. Those tweaks have been clearly more than enough to build on the model’s already strong reputation, which saw it end 2020 third in segment behind the Qashqai and Tiguan: this year, the 3008 is doing even better, becoming the European market’s number two model in its segment behind the Volkswagen.