Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Industry / Manufacturing/  Geneva Motor Show: Car makers focus on technology, not consolidation
BackBack

Geneva Motor Show: Car makers focus on technology, not consolidation

At the Geneva Motor Show, the rise of electric vehicles, self-driving cars and ride sharing is set to eclipse big mergers such as PSA Group's purchase of Opel

Renault ZOE e-Sport electric vehicle concept at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday. Auto firms are investing billions of euros in electric vehicles, self-driving and new mobility services to take on new rivals in Silicon Valley and China. Photo: AFPPremium
Renault ZOE e-Sport electric vehicle concept at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday. Auto firms are investing billions of euros in electric vehicles, self-driving and new mobility services to take on new rivals in Silicon Valley and China. Photo: AFP

Geneva: The auto industry is facing seismic changes with the rise of electric vehicles, self-driving and car sharing set to eclipse even big mergers such as PSA Group’s purchase of Opel, executives at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show said.

Peugeot maker PSA Group said on Monday it had agreed to buy loss-making Opel from General Motors, creating Europe’s second-biggest carmaker behind Volkswagen AG and sparking speculation of more consolidation.

However, some auto executives gathering in Geneva said the deal was unlikely to alter the landscape on its own, with changing consumer habits and new rivals in Silicon Valley and China all likely to have a much bigger impact on carmakers.

“My feeling is that the industry as a whole and brand positioning will change in the next 10 or 15 years, and that comes in addition to traditional consolidation," said Herbert Diess, head of Volkswagen’s passenger car division.

“We are really in a transitionary phase for the industry. There are new competitors on the horizon like Tesla or Chinese ventures," Diess told reporters, adding that he did not expect a wave of Opel-style mergers.

Volkswagen is investing billions of euros in electric vehicles, self-driving and new mobility services, in part as it tries to recover from a costly emissions test cheating scandal that has hit demand for diesel vehicles. The company, which is also cutting costs, is unveiling a fully self-driving concept car at the Geneva Motor Show.

More from Geneva Motor Show | Porsche plans electric SUV amid VW’s zero-emission drive

Karl Schlicht, head of European sales at Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp., also played down the impact of the PSA-Opel deal, which brings together carmakers with a heavy focus on diesel and low-margin fleet vehicles.

“We ran a counter strategy in Europe which may not look as successful for some past years because our volumes were a bit lower, but in terms of where we want to end up, it’s turning out to be a good strategy," he said, referring to Toyota’s investment in hybrid vehicles.

Toyota forecasts its European sales will rise 5% this year while the market is expected to grow just 1% amid uncertainty over German and French elections and Britain’s departure from the European Union.

BMW boss Harald Krueger, however, said the cost of investments in new technologies could spur deals among smaller carmakers.

‘No survival of the fattest’

Some industry analysts also say an enlarged PSA could actually ease the pressure on rivals if CEO Carlos Tavares uses similar methods to turn a profit at Opel that worked at PSA. In the three years since Tavares took the helm at PSA, its existing brands—Peugeot, Citroen and DS—have significantly increased pricing relative to benchmarked rivals, sometimes at the expense of sales.

A similar approach at Opel, among Europe’s most aggressive discounters, could give the entire European mass-market car industry some breathing space.

Tata Motors’ JLR pushes cool cars as automakers seek answers to trade wars

“The deal could then ease price pressures, lead to a stabilisation, or even a recovery," said Michele Pedroni, fund manager at SYZ Asset Management in Geneva.

GM and PSA have shared production of commercial vans and developed common vehicle platforms for years, and the Opel Crossland X and the Citroen C-Aircross concept SUV on show in Geneva are a sign of the new projects and synergies they hope to achieve as one company.

Stefan Bratzel of the Center of Automotive Management in Germany said the potential improvement in profitability at PSA-Opel posed a bigger challenge to rivals than its sheer size. “There is no survival of the fattest," he said. “Just because you’re big, you do not win the game."

Some analysts say Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, which has less than 7% of the European market compared with PSA-Opel’s more than 16%, could be among the most pressured, with its high debts and costly plants in Italy.

More from Geneva Motor Show | Ferrari unveils 812 Superfast, its fastest production car ever

“Being a mid-sized player in Europe and not particularly profitable in the region leaves them quite vulnerable," said Felipe Munoz, an automotive analyst at JATO. “They are too expensive to be bought by one of the big guys, and they are not in a position to grow unless they find a partner."

Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has long advocated mergers to share the cost of cleaner and more technologically advanced cars, but his attempt to woo General Motors Co. was rebuffed and with the US firm now leaving Europe that option seems even less likely.

Marchionne said on Tuesday that Fiat did not need a merger, but he wouldn’t rule one out and said he could approach GM again if it was the right thing to do.

He also said the PSA-Opel deal might over time encourage Volkswagen to consider a tie-up with Fiat Chrysler, although one industry investment banker told Reuters that was unlikely as VW focuses on its transformation following the dieselgate scandal.

Ford, another mid-sized player in Europe, highlighted the importance of keeping costs down. European boss Jim Farley told Reuters it was “really, really important" for the future of its more than 14,000 workers in Britain that the country strikes a tariff-free trade deal when it leaves the European Union. Reuters

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Industry News, Banking News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 07 Mar 2017, 10:53 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Manufacturing Stocks
₹557.550.52%
ITC
₹4280.13%
₹2,987.85-0.37%
₹152.852%
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App