Industry Developments

EU vehicle safety standards are to be toughened. The European Commission (EC) is making it mandatory for all new car models introduced from November 1 2011 to be fitted with electronic... 2011-11-23

The signing of an agreement on a joint regulatory framework for the electric vehicle segment between the EU, Japan and the US will help boost carmakers' enthusiasm for developing these... 2011-11-21

BMI has significantly revised down its outlook for motorcycle sales in Western Europe in view of growing concerns about weak economic growth in the key markets of Germany and France,... 2011-11-16

As the UK turns its focus towards rebalancing its economy from services to manufacturing, BMI believes that the importance of the automotive industry in this regard cannot be ignored.... 2011-11-15

The European Commission has called for Spain - as well as Ireland - to revise its tax structure for leased or rented vehicles from another member state, to bring it into compliance... 2011-11-14

BMI believes that Italian tyremaker Pirelli's reliance on the premium segment to chase an earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margin of more than 16% by 2016 (compared with the... 2011-11-11

Cumulative new passenger car sales in France just about managed to remain in positive growth territory during the first ten months of 2011, growing 0.4% on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis... 2011-11-10

The effects of a sharp drop in consumer and business confidence are beginning to be felt in the Greek autos market. Estimates from the Association of Motor Vehicle Importers (AMVIR)... 2011-11-09

French tyre manufacturer Michelin is selling its 9.98% stake in its South Korean counterpart Hankook Tire, a move which will help it raise close to US$610mn. BMI believes the move comes... 2011-11-08

An 18% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in sales to EUR22.6bn (US$31.3bn) during the first nine months of 2011 has made German automotive parts supplier Continental confident of its end-year... 2011-11-04