17/1/2024 |Articles are machine translated
Production of the second-generation KONA Electric at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic in Nosovice | Photo: HMMC
Despite a number of challenges in 2023, domestic car manufacturers managed to increase production by 14.8% year-on-year and almost reach the pre-crisis production values with 1,397,816 passenger cars produced. The best result in the last four years was also supported by the production of electric vehicles, which were produced 34% more year-on-year. Their total number reached a record 180,887 cars, or 13% of total production. The production of trucks also improved, with a total of 1,432 trucks (+6.3%) coming off the Kopřivnice production line. Slightly lower year-on-year production results were recorded by bus manufacturers with 5,253 (-1.3%), while the production of motorcycles fell by 755 (-53.5%) and trailers by 18,723 (-19.3%).
“Even in 2023, the Czech automotive industry faced a number of challenges. The Russian-Ukrainian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, high energy prices, the long-term unsatisfactory situation on the labour market, and disruptions and volatility in supply chains, which occurred especially in the spring and summer months, had an impact on our globally closely interconnected industry. Foreign competition, particularly from Asia, is also increasingly making itself heard. In spite of this, production managed to increase by almost 15% year-on-year and, with around 1.4 million passenger vehicles produced, to return to the highest production volumes of 2017-2019. The more than one-third increase in production of electric vehicles is confirmation of the current trends. For customers, the agreement on a more realistic form of the Euro 7 emissions standard is also good news, allowing the range of available vehicle models to be maintained for longer. Although we will have to continue to work with a number of challenges, I am convinced that in 2023 as well as this year, the Czech car industry will once again be the engine of the Czech economy and one of the most innovative industries,” says Martin Jahn, President of the Automotive Industry Association.
In 2023, a total of 1,397,816 passenger vehicles were produced in the Czech Republic, i.e. 14.8% more than in the previous year 2022. More than 92.4% of the cars produced (1,292,199 units) were destined for foreign markets. Vehicle exports thus recorded a 14.3% increase year-on-year. A total of 105,617 vehicles, or 7.5% of total production, were placed on the domestic market. Similar to exports, domestic sales of passenger vehicles also recorded a year-on-year increase, in this case by 20.4%. A total of 180,887 electric vehicles were produced from January to December, accounting for 12.9% of domestic production. A total of 130,571 battery BEVs and 50,316 plug-in hybrid vehicles were produced. The electric vehicle segment thus recorded a 34% year-on-year increase.
The largest domestic carmaker Škoda Auto, which accounts for 61.9% of total passenger car production in the Czech Republic, will produce a total of 864,889 cars (+24.8%) at its domestic plants in 2023. The domestic market accounted for 87,784 vehicles (10.1%), while foreign markets accounted for 777,105 vehicles (89.9%). 108,835 electric vehicles (BEVs and PHEVs) were produced at the Mladá Boleslav plant from January to December, i.e. 12.6% of the brand’s total production. Of these, 86,732 were battery vehicles and 22,103 were plug-in hybrids.
The Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech plant in Nosovice produced a total of 340,500 vehicles in the first twelve months of 2023, which is 5.6% more than in 2022. Of the total number of vehicles, 43,839 were pure electric and 28,213 plug-in hybrids. Overall, electric vehicles produced in Nosovice accounted for 21.2% of the brand’s total domestic production. Almost 96% (325 946 units) of the vehicles produced were destined for foreign markets, while the remaining 4%, i.e. 14 554 vehicles, were placed on the domestic market. The total production of the Korean carmaker in the Czech Republic represents 24.4% of the share of passenger vehicles produced.
Despite suspended subcontracting of production components in the spring and summer months, a total of 192 427 cars were produced in 2023 at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Kolín. Despite partial disruptions in the first half of the year, the third-largest domestic automaker, which accounts for 13.7% of total car production, managed to successfully increase production and domestic sales in the following months. The remaining 189,148 (98.3%) vehicles were exported.
TATRA TRUCKS, which is the only manufacturer of trucks among the members of the Association of the Automotive Industry, experienced another successful year. In 2023, it produced a total of 1,432 trucks, 85 more than in 2022 (+6.3%). Tatra’s production was directed both to export (1,239 units) and to domestic sales, for which 522 Tatra trucks were destined.
Bus production recorded a slight year-on-year decline, mainly due to the order-driven nature of production. In 2023, a total of 5,253 buses were produced in the Czech Republic, i.e. 69 fewer (-1.3%) than in 2022. Of the total number of buses produced, 715 were destined for the domestic market (+10.2%) and 5,535 were exported (+20.6%). Iveco Czech Republic in Vysoké Mýto produced 4,741 buses (-0.5%). The Libchavsky SOR plant also recorded slightly lower year-on-year production results, with a total of 492 buses produced, i.e. 28 fewer than in 2022. Around 52% of this brand’s production was exported, while the remaining 48%, i.e. 237 buses, were produced domestically. KHMC also recorded a lower production trend with 20 minibuses produced, 2 less than in 2022. In the electric drive segment, a total of 23 battery BEV buses were produced in January-December at the SOR Libchavy plant.
Traditional motorcycle manufacturer JAWA Moto also reported a year-on-year decline in production due to the order-driven nature of production and market saturation in 2022. A total of 755 motorcycles (-53.5%) rolled off the domestic brand’s production line in January-December 2023. Of the total number of motorcycles produced, 418 units (55.4%) went abroad and 337 units (44.6%) were sold in the Czech Republic.
In the trailer segment, 18,723 trailers and semi-trailers were produced from January to December, down 19.3% year-on-year. The overall decline in the segment was mainly due to Agados, which produces small trailers up to 3.5 t. A total of 16,924 units were produced in 2023, 18.5% less than in the previous year. In the Czech Republic, the company sold 9,226 units (-20.3%), while 7,384 units (-24.2%) were exported. Schwarzmüller, a manufacturer in the large trailers and semi-trailers segment, also recorded a year-on-year decrease in production. The Czech Republic produced 1,283 large trailers (-34.7%). Of the total production, 806 trailers and semi-trailers were sold domestically and 1,137 for export. Year-on-year higher production results were recorded by PANAV, which completed a total of 516 units, i.e. almost 9% more than last year. Of the total production of the brand, 462 units went to the domestic market and 48 units to foreign countries.
