The business services firm, polled 2000 senior executove of the car business and found 75% of participants anticipated that mature and emerging markets would converge by 2025.

Another 76% of contributors thought fuel efficiency was a key factor in shaping consumer purchase choices at present, down from 96% in 2009. These figures stood at 65% and 72% respectively for eco-friendliness.

Safety logged 64%, as did style, while ergonomics and comfort yielded 61%, using alternative fuels hit 61%, and offering internet connectivity in cars posted 49%.

Elsewhere, 38% of those surveyed said developing original products and technologies was their primary strategy for fuelling growth, falling to 16% for integration with other industries and fostering new business models.

Just 9% pointed to improving affordability and 8% suggested enhanced brand management was vital, matching the result for providing deals.

More broadly, 63% of interviewees agreed it was “very likely” that the automotive sector would converge with the IT, media and entertainment industries as shifts towards in-car “connectivity” gain pace. “Having become accustomed to instant internet access at home and in the office, people expect the same connectivity when on the move, with access to smartphones, tablets and MP3 players, as well as satellite navigation,” the study said.

Competition is also set to intensify, especially as the auto sector is due to see overcapacity of 20–30% by 2016. Currently, the US is the most saturated market for 42% of the panel, and 51% forecast China would assume this role in five years.

Some 26% of the sample saw cutting production as the best way to deal with this problem, 24% cited the need for consolidation, 15% mentioned incentivising sales and 13% wanted to raise their brand profile.

Upon discussing the factors helping dealerships achieve differentiation, 74% of respondents asserted that providing high service quality during purchases was essential, standing at 60% for financing options.

Another 81% believed dealers are likely to invest more money in web marketing going forward, and 72% said expenditure on IT systems and ecommerce would increase.

Data sourced from KPMG- January 2012

More specifically, China’s figures are predicted to expand by 16% on an annual basis in 2012, coming in at 17.9m vehicles for the 12 months as a whole. By 2016, this amount is pegged to stand at 23.6 vehicles. An example of this trend in action, Bentley sold more cars in China than in the UK for the first time last year.

China appears to be stronger than other key fast-growth economies, as Brazil’s totals increase from 3.6m to 4.3m in this timeframe. Elsewhere, the Russian market may remain flat in 2012 but enjoy more favourable trends going forward.

European growth rates will be relatively modest, expanding to 23.7m vehicles at the close of 2016 from a starting point of 19m units in 2012.

Data sourced from Polk Research and People’s Daily (January 4, 2012)

Toyota, the automaker, led the rankings on 64.2 points, and received a score from consumers which was 7.6 points higher than that yielded by detailed scrutiny of its performance.

Alongside developing eco-friendly cars like the Prius, Toyota has outlined a range of goals from reducing carbon dioxide emissions to supporting afforestation and recycling.

Riki Inuzuka, managing officer of Toyota’s corporate planning and research divisions, suggested this can deliver a variety of advantages.

He said: “We know that profitability is the result of our efforts. Another benefit is that we’ve also succeeded in winning the hearts of customers and society. Through this, we are able to reinvest our earnings in creating ‘ever-better cars,’ and by fostering this virtuous circle, we achieve sustainable growth.”

Honda, another car manufacturer, was near to Toyota with 58.9 points.

Panasonic, the electronics expert, completed the top ten, on 57.3 points.

One trend identified by Interbrand was that many big-name brands seemed to benefit from favourable perceptions simply by virtue of their scale.

“The importance of understanding how a brand behaves and how the marketplace perceives the brand on the measurement of environmental responsibility is paramount,” said Tom Zara, Interbrand’s global practice leader, corporate citizenship.

“Corporations are now looked to act in ways that reduce the sins of the past. They are expected and held accountable to innovate to make the Earth a better place.”

If you want more détails about this Survey, please go to :

http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/07/26/Japan-Dominates-Best-Global-Green-Brands-2011.aspx

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Canada will receive 125 million US dollars for its remaining 1. 7 percent ownership stake in Chrysler. This allows Fiat to hold 53.5% stake in Chrysler.

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The second trend is that domestic brands are gaining market share and reach between 30 to 35 percent of the total sales. The gap in quality with foreign brands is decreasing quite fast. It is expected that between 2015 and 1018 the quality will be improved in such a way that the gap will be eliminated. If the domestic brands keep their cost advantage while improving quality, their market share will continue to grow.

The third trend is the rise of new energy vehicles. The number of electric vehicles is growing fast. This is the case not only for light-duty vehicles but also for passenger cars. Electric taxis are operating already in big cities. The objective is to reach 5 % electric vehicles by 2015 (roughly 150.000 units).

After having conquered the main cities, the automobiles are now ready to go to third-tier cities. Today, 230 million Chinese families can afford a car and this is still a low car ownership rate (around 50 to 60 cars per 1000 people). But, may be more important, the Chinese car industry will get global and start to sell in the US and Europe.

Pollution in big cities is a main concern. Therefore many efforts will be done to improve the efficiency of the current conventional models. They will have smaller and better engines. Better transmissions and lighter material.

Another important concern is the dependence on imports and the need to buy abroad energy, steel, iron and rubber.

The need for human talent remains High. China has still difficulties in getting really qualified engineering talent as well as management talent. China is trying to do many things, to build many factories, to develop many new products, to have global companies but the shortage of human talent is the biggest problem to overcome. This means that for many years to come partnerships with American and European companies will be the way to success.

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The company hopes, in collaboration with its French partner Renault, selling 1.5 million electric cars by six years.

In December 2010, Nissan has given Japan and the United States the first units of the Leaf, presented as the first electric car produced and sold in bulk.

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In an example of such processes in action, adspend contracted as Japanese automakers reined in their commercial communication budgets.

BCG said shoppers are economising, “cocooning” at home, reading, purchasing energy-efficient goods and buying offerings online, while cutting back on travel, leisure, cars and other durables. Japanese consumers of all ages are modifying their daily routines in response to the increased stress that they are facing.

A wider problem, tied to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, links to worries about the safety of certain items.

In addition to thèse trends, the negative publicity regarding Japanese products that may have been tainted by radiation could well hurt the reputation of ‘Made in Japan’ brands for the foreseeable future.

Inflation might become an issue in Japan, rather than deflation, although the likely transformation of the trading climate is also set to offer previously unexpected opportunities. Certain businesses – those focusing on infrastructure investment; energy-saving products; construction of ‘smart’ buildings; or consumer products that address home, convenience, or safety concerns – can expect to expand.

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Volkswagen, MediaCom and Millward Brown joined forces to survey 6,682 people in 17 urban centres across the country. Respondents had either bought a new car during the last two years or intended to do so in the coming 24 months. The results showed the sustained economic growth and rising affluence experienced by Chinese shoppers have encouraged a “new set of expectations” manufacturers must consider.

“Their life choices – including which brand of car they drive or would like to drive – are becoming more varied,” the report said. “At the same time, the media landscape through which they receive their commercial messages and brand recommendations has become more complex, more fragmented and more social.”

Digital channels exert a major impact at all stages of the purchase funnel, from building awareness to “creating a positive disposition” and “setting their behaviour intent”. However, traditional media retains a vital status, both because TV boasts unparalleled penetration, especially in lower tier areas, and as radio has a unique role in providing traffic updates.

“Digital is not the sole  medium and needs to be used in conjunction with other messages,” . “Other media are very well placed to reach key target groups.” the study said.

The analysis divided the panel into four distinct categories offering clear opportunities for automakers.

The first, young drivers, is comprised of individuals aged between 20 and 30 years old, and made 27.6% of Chinese car purchases in 2010, a figure that climbed in Tier 1 cities like Shanghai and Beijing. Online chat and social networking are among the primary media activities pursued by this community, who usually work long hours and thus employ “virtual tools” for various purposes. “Every aspect of car brand communications such as brochures needs to be digitised for this audience,” the study said.

Another core constituency is women, currently claiming over 25% of new registrations, suggesting a generation of confident, financially successful and independent female shoppers are in the ascendancy. “Word of mouth is particularly important for women so bloggers and social media are crucial channels ». “Women also read auto magazines in a different way from men. They focus less on numbers, more on the images and prefer shorter articles.”

Wealthy households offer equally substantial prospects for luxury marques, with radio and the mobile web integral to reaching this demographic. “Car brands need a premium image to be considered but one key change has been the evolution of a significant group that have become wary about showing off,” the report said.

Finally, Tier 2 cities are delivering a surge in demand, and as residents of these regions typically possess a more “relaxed lifestyle” and “conventional media diet”, TV remains an essential medium here.

Paul Hu, head of Volkswagen brand marketing in China, said that consumers insights “help cut through the ever-growing clutter in the media environment.” “As the number one automobile company in China, Volkswagen needs the best possible understanding of automobile consumers,” he added.

Akio Toyota, Toyota President, expects output overseas and in Japan to return to pre-quake levels in November or December. In Japan, output that currently hovers around 50 percent of the normal rate will start increasing in July as the final kinks in the supply chain get worked out. Factories in other countries will begin ramping up production from current levels in August.

Toyota recently has announced several production cuts for plants in the United States and Europe. Assembly plants there will operate for only three days a week. And when they are running, they will work at only half the normal pace. That brings total output to about 30 percent of pre-quake levels.

Like other Japanese automakers, Toyota has been suspending production amid global parts shortages triggered by the March 11 earthquake that hammered Japan’s supply chain. Toyota also announced this week that it would slash utilization of its plants in China to as low as 30 percent.

Akio Toyoda stressed that his comeback plan is still very fragile.

“Just last night in the area around Tokyo, we had another aftershock,” Toyoda said. “Because of such things, it can reverse the progress being made. So it is difficult to read what will happen.” Through the end of April alone, Toyota expects to lose 500,000 units globally.

Shinichi Sasaki, Executive Vice President in charge of purchasing, said models that share many commonized parts will be first returning to normal production.

First estimation by industry experts, shows that pure battery electric vehicles could account for 12 per cent in 2020 and 32 % in 2030. Over 30 % pénétration would mean substantial changes in the world’s largest automotive markets – 30 %in the U.S.A – over 50 % in Japan and China.

How to get there ? Advances in batteries will be critical. Lithium-Ion batteries (the kind used in mobile phones,or laptop computers – have improved the economics, safety, reliability and range. Everything is not yet settled. Indeed electrical vehicles have still disadvantages in termes of cosqt, range and performances. Improving batteries in terms of energy density, charging time and lifetime will be key. But,optimizing all these different pièces will take money, brains and a bit of luck. Governments will also play a driving role in the process by pushing there lo,ngterm objectives. Research funds are already présent en tax crédits will promote the use of electrical vehicles by car owners.

Almost all major car companies have announced plans to sell electrical vehicles between 2012 and 2014.

Nissa-Renault CEO, Carlos Ghosn, has predicted that one in 10 cars globally will run on battery power alone by 2020. Additionally a recent report from Deloitte’s global manufacturing industry group, claims that by 2020 electric cars and other « clean cars » will take a third of the total of global car sales (read more).

Electrical vehicles : nothing really new !

At the early days of the automobile industry, electric cars enjoyed High popularity. Between the mid 19th century and the early days of the 20th century electricty was considered as providing better comfort and ease of use than the gasoline cars. Later advances in internal combustion technology offered interesting advantages (quicker refueling time, good gasoline infrastructure, mass production factories, reduced prices,…) and pushed the development of gasoline vehicles.

At the end of the 19th century, electric automobiles held many speed and distance records of which the breaking of the 100 km/h speed barrier, by Camille Jenatzi on April 29, 1899 in his ‘rocket-shaped’ vehicle « La jamais Contente ».

Already at that time, the main handicap of electrical vehicles was the lack of recharging infrastructure.

Among the advantages, the electrical vehicles could bring forward that they did not have the vibration, smell, and noise associated with gasoline cars. They did not require gear changes, which for gasoline cars was the most difficult part of driving.