17/10/2023 |Articles are machine translated
Paint-shop. | Photo: Škoda Auto
In the first nine months of this year, a total of 1,017,933 passenger vehicles were produced in the Czech Republic. This represents a year-on-year growth of 11.5%. Despite lower production results in September itself, caused by parts supply shortages at Toyota in Kolín and Škoda Auto in Kvasiny, the one million vehicle production mark was reached a month earlier this year. The year-on-year decline in production was recorded by the manufacturers of buses 3,648 (-5.5%), motorcycles 567 (-60.4%) and trailers 14,958 (-19.5%). Tatra, the only representative of the heavy vehicle segment, on the other hand, increased its production by 5.7% to a total of 959 units in three quarters of a year. The share of vehicles with electric drive is also growing, currently accounting for 13.2% of the total production of motor vehicles. A total of 97,992 pure electric and 36,332 plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles were produced in the first three quarters.
“Despite the September production failures at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Kolín and Škoda Auto in Kvasiny and partly in Mladá Boleslav, which were caused by a series of natural events at suppliers, over one million passenger vehicles were produced in the domestic car industry in the first nine months. Exceeding this important milestone a month earlier than last year is a clear confirmation of the vitality of the Czech car industry and its return to pre-crisis performance,” says Martin Jahn, President of the Automotive Industry Association.
In the first nine months of this year, 1,017,933 passenger vehicles were produced in the Czech Republic, i.e. 11.5% more than in the same period of the previous year. Electric vehicles produced in the period totalled 134,324 units and their share in domestic car production rose to 13.2%. A total of 97,992 battery BEVs and 36,332 plug-in hybrid PHEVs were produced. A total of 78 217 vehicles, i.e. 7.6% of the total number produced, were destined for the domestic market. A total of 939,716 passenger cars, or over 92% of production, were destined for foreign markets. Vehicle exports thus recorded a 10.7% year-on-year increase, while domestic sales grew by 22.1%.
Škoda Auto, the largest domestic carmaker, produced in January-September at its domestic plants The Czech market accounted for 64,331 vehicles (+25.7%), while 569,664 vehicles (+23.2%) went to foreign markets. In September alone, the carmaker recorded a 5.5% drop in production, caused by a week-long shutdown of the Kvasiny plant and a partial production cutback in Mladá Boleslav. These were caused by the failure of an engine gear subcontractor in Slovenia, whose production was affected by flooding. Škoda Auto produced 80,663 electric vehicles (battery BEVs and plug-in hybrid PHEVs), i.e. 12.7% of the brand’s total production. Of these, 66,004 were battery BEVs and 14,659 plug-in hybrids.
The Hyundai plant in Nosovice also did well in the year-on-year comparison. In the first three quarters, it produced a total of 254,300 vehicles, i.e. 4.7% more than in the same period last year. A total of 243,106 vehicles were exported (+5%) and 11,194 were sold on the domestic market (-1%). Of the total number of vehicles produced, 31,988 were pure electric and 21,673 were plug-in hybrid. Overall, electric vehicles accounted for 21.1% of total production.
Cologne-based Toyota recorded lower year-on-year production figures, caused by a series of shutdowns, including the last one in September. This was caused by a stoppage in the supply of plastic parts to Novares, whose production was affected by a major fire. In the first nine months, 129,638 cars were produced in Cologne, 17.3% fewer than in January-September 2022. A total of 126 946 vehicles were exported (-18.2%) and 2 692 (+73.3%) were registered domestically. Hybrid vehicles (HEVs) accounted for almost half of the production.
In the first three quarters, 3,648 buses were produced in the Czech Republic (-5.5%), 285 buses were destined for the domestic market (-45.1%), the remaining 3,642 were exported (+11.6%). 3,406 buses were produced in IVECO CR in Vysoké Mýto, i.e. 2% less than in the previous year, 3,457 were destined abroad (+11.8%) and 228 buses (-28.1%) were sold domestically. In the first nine months of this year, SOR Libchavy produced 229 buses, i.e. 35.5% less than last year, of which 57 units (-71.8%) were destined for the domestic market and 172 units (+12.4%) of this brand went abroad. The manufacturer KHMC produced 13 buses during the period, all of them destined for export.
TATRA Trucks, which is the only manufacturer of trucks among the members of the Association of the Automotive Industry, produced 959 vehicles in the three quarters of this year, i.e. 52 more than in the same period last year (i.e. +5.7%). Almost 94% of Tatra’s production was directed to foreign markets, 353 vehicles (6.4%) were sold on the domestic market.
In the first nine months of the year, the manufacturer JAWA produced 567 motorcycles, 866 fewer than in the previous year (-60.4%). Of the total production, 242 motorcycles of this brand were placed on the Czech market (-73.9%), 325 machines were exported (-35.6%).
The trailer segment also recorded an overall year-on-year decline. Between January and September, 14,958 trailers and semi-trailers of all sizes were produced, i.e. 3,625 units less than last year (-19.5%). In terms of volume, the majority of production was handled by Agados, a company specialising in small trailers up to 3.5 t. It produced 13,618 units (-18.2%), sold 7,512 units (-21.3%) in the Czech Republic and 5,686 units (-15.5%) abroad.
In the category of large trailers and semi-trailers there was also a partial decrease in production. Schwarzmüller produced 961 large trailers, 39.9% less than last year. In the Czech Republic, it sold 583 units (-5.5%), while 918 units (-35.2%) were sold abroad. On the other hand, the Czech company PANAV did well, producing 379 trailers and semi-trailers, 11.8% more than in the previous year. It placed 325 trailers on the domestic market (+18.2%) and 36 trailers abroad (-41%).
