Strikes disrupt Hyundai production

KOREA: Production has been disrupted at Hyundai Motor Company plants in Korea as the labour union calls for strikes over a wages dispute.

Hyundai last week had a temporary halt in production when the main labour union held a total six-hour partial strike and planned more action.

This is the seventh consecutive year that union members of Hyundai have staged strikes. It walked out of wage negotiations in June after Hyundai proposed wage increases and bonuses which the union said fell short of expectations.

The union is demanding a 5.3 per cent increase in the basic monthly wage as well as performance pay amounting to 30 per cent of the Hyundai 2017 net profit of $US4.3 billion.

BMW to pioneer majority ownership in China

CHINA: BMW is poised to become the first foreign car-maker to hold a majority stake in a joint venture in China.

Bloomberg reports that BMW could take up to 75 per cent of the Brilliance Auto joint venture. It now holds 50 per cent.

BMW said it “welcomes China’s commitment to further market opening and reforms by lifting the foreign shareholding limit for automotive joint ventures for passenger vehicles from 2022”.

The joint venture, BMW Brilliance, was established in 2003 and now has six BMW models under manufacture in China.

It signed a long-term production agreement with Brilliance aimed at expanding the joint venture’s annual capacity.

Diesel on the nose as petrol back in favour in UK

UK: British motorists are turning away from diesel and back to petrol with data from Auto Trader showing searches for diesel vehicles fell to 47 per cent in June from 71 per cent two years ago. Petrol car searches rose to 46 per cent.

Auto Trader said hybrid and electric vehicle popularity remained low despite growing publicity around EVs and the government’s pledge to end the sales of conventional petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040.

Auto Trader said that despite low volumes, hybrids and EVs listed on its website had increased by 67 per cent between June 2017 and June 2018, with petrol hybrids and petrol plug-in hybrids by far the most common type of alternative-fuel vehicle sold.

McLaren’s 2025 plan sees hybrids, no SUVs

UK: Supercar manufacturer McLaren launched its new 600LT model last weekend and also unveiled its Track25 long-term production plan that outlines its path to 2025.

The plan includes launching 18 new models and derivatives; all models to be hybrid by 2024; double its annual revenue; continuation of hand building its cars; no SUVs; and an EV car after 2020.

McLaren’s global sales by have risen 30 per cent over the past two years and is up 93 per cent for the first half of 2018.

Its sales are expected to pass 4000 for the first time in 2018 and are likely to settle between 5000 and 6000 annual units as part of the Track25 plan.

Film night ad campaign for Mazda

UK: Mazda has partnered with Film4 for a two-year television marketing campaign which will feature its MX-5 sportscar and CX-3 SUV in a series of short films.

Its “Together is a wonderful place to be” advertising campaign started this week on Film4’s 9pm film night slot.

The ads build on Mazda’s “Drive Together” marketing campaign, which the car-maker said celebrate the joy of driving, and are based on the theme of memorable journeys shared with family and friends.

Mazda’s new campaign films were shot in the Scottish Highlands and 20 different versions have been made for the flagship 9pm film slot on Film4. There are also three 20-second edits, which will run on 4OD, Channel 4’s video-on-demand service.