Despite a relatively weak start and lingering inertia during the first half of 2017 due mainly to the impacts by many factors as the pension reform and “one fixed day off and one flexible rest day” policy, Taiwan's auto market still ended the year with an encouraging result.
According to statistics from local carmakers and dealers, Taiwan's overall new-car sales in 2017 totaled 444,600 units, not just better than 430,000 units forecast earlier but also a new high since 2006, thanks mainly to the heavy promotions, including launch of more new cars, by several well-known car manufacturers in the market.
It is safe to say that 2017 was an amazing year for the auto market in Taiwan, given the negative effects of the government's policies, noted Chwen-Shing Su, general manager of Hotai Motor Co., Ltd, an auto firm engaged in the distribution of automobiles and automobile parts and Toyota's exclusive local distributor on the island, who attributed the satisfying result to significantly growing sales of imported cars in the local market. Su added that the promising scenario is expected to continue in 2018.
Last year, Hotai sold 128,000 new cars to command a local market share of 28.8 percent as the largest supplier the 16th year in Taiwan, trailed by Mitsubishi Motors Taiwan, a joint-venture between a Taiwan-based automobile manufacturer China Motor Corporation and Japanese auto maker Mitsubishi, which has been the second-largest carmaker for two years in a row thanks to growing popularity of its commercial vehicle in the market.
On another front, sales by Honda Taiwan Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of a Japan-based auto manufacturing tycoon Honda Motor Co. Ltd., showed the strongest growth of 20 percent among other carmakers in the market in the year.
In the meantime, Mercedes-Benz, a global automobile manufacturer and a division of the German company Daimler AG, posted sales of 28,000 cars, representing a robust growth of 12.8 percent over a year ago and hitting an all-time zenith ever since its entry into the Taiwanese market. The result put the firm on the No.1 spot in the rankings of imported luxury car suppliers.
With its “big-volume strategy” working, Mercedes-Benz also ranked as the fifth-largest carmaker as a whole, trailing Hotai, Mitsubishi Motors Taiwan, Nissan Taiwan, and Honda in the Taiwanese market.
Last year, imported cars from global brands, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Skoda, to Taiwan were mostly SUVs, which is an increasingly popular vehicle type worldwide. Mainly on the popularity of SUVs, a market share of imported cars in Taiwan has continuously climbed and greatly eroded that of locally assembled cars.
Su said that as the Taiwanese government continues providing subsidies of NT$50,000 (US$1,697) on the replacement of old cars for new ones this year, the policy, plus with promotions of newer car makes and models by global brands, will surely help sustain the local auto market this year.
photo courtesy of UDN.com
Industries are focusing on new technologies for better environmental sustainability and to promote the overall protection and safety of consumers. The same is trending in Taiwan's hardware and plumbing sector. Companies and consumers are becoming more and more aware of the long-term impact of pollutive materials on natural resources, and as policies and regulations are changed in other crucial ma...
Japanese automotive brand Toyota's recent announcement of reducing production in March due to chip shortages is another setback for the company, as this would not be its first time scaling back capacity in the past two years. Earlier, Toyota had also announced that the chip shortages had slashed the group's production goals from April to June. However, Economic Daily News points out that Toyot...
Top automotive electronic suppliers and Taiwan's leading R&D center in autonomous technology and testing, Automotive Research and Testing Center (ARTC), collectively announced the formation of the “Automotive AI Imagery Chip and Smart Cockpit Display Module Industry Alliance" on March 18. Representatives from Elan Microelectronics, AU Optronics, Chimei Motor, China Motor, RAC Electric Vehicles...
The Ministry of Economic Affairs said today that in February, the industrial production index was 117.49, with an annual increase of 10.01% due to easing supply chain disruptions and chip shortages. This marks the 25-month consecutive positive growth period, also the second-longest in history. The manufacturing index was 119.76, an annual increase of 10.16%, which set a new high for the same ...
If there's a keyword that can be used to summarize the past two years, it would be “digitalization.” Across different industries, companies and suppliers are seeking ways to tap into the post-COVID market, and the furniture sector is no different. Here are two trends we've identified that would and continue to shape the market in the coming year and more. Going Digital While the typical con...
Memory chip maker Mosel Vitelic Inc. is looking to expand business operations into the automotive market by increasing deliveries to 25% from 20% in 2021. Chairman Rebecca Tang and Vice General Manager Deng Chih-da were present at the investor's conference on Wednesday afternoon. Tang said the company enjoyed a steady growth last year due to the global chip shortage, rounding up total revenue ...
Founded in 1981, Steel Mark is specialized in manufacturing locks and other related hardware. The company's product catalog includes padlocks, motorcycle and bike locks, deadbolt locks, digital door locks, door locks, rim and euro profile cylinders, and concerning hardware and parts. The company currently operates modern manufacturing facilities occupying 3,300 square meters with more than 40...
In the face of an ever-competitive global market and pressured by rising costs, Wire Master Industry believes the best chance of increasing its competitiveness is improving product quality and investing more into R&D. This allows Wire Master to be in a prime position to stake a good position in the market. Wire Master is looking to develop long-term partnerships with similar values and focus on p...
Since the founders' humble beginnings in the 1960s, traveling from his hometown in Chiayi County to urban Taipei City to learn a trade, he has dedicated the eventually-formed Kuang Shin Enterprise to providing quality products. Kuang Shin offers children's desks and chairs, computer chairs, furniture hardware, OA office chair and desks, connected chairs, display shelves, chair bases, and parts...
Taiwan First brakes Technology Co., Ltd.
Mar 04, 2021Nan Hoang Traffic Instrument Co., Ltd is one of the major manufacturers of automobile friction materials in Taiwan and globally. Chairman Austin Cheng has implemented the double-arrow strategy this year - own brand of “YangPo” is adopted to focus on global channels while the “NHC brand focuses on improving market shares in global markets, such as Europe, America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle E...
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the industries' timeline for implementing digital transformation. However, the how's and what's of applying new technologies and improving the added value to existing products and services can be daunting. Three professors from the National Taiwan University College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science founded the startup company "OmniEyes," basi...
■Yang Feng-Chun In a bid to assist manufacturers in Changhua County to expand their market reach overseas against severe competition in the globalized market, Changhua County Government has been an active player in pushing for a makeover and innovation of its local small and medium-sized enterprises. This is done in hopes of establishing stronger connection with international markets. An ex...
The 2022 Smart City and IoT exhibition kicked off on March 22, featuring top Taiwanese brands showcasing related applications in the sector. It is worth noting that in addition to 5G-related extension and other mainstream smart city applications, energy storage has become a highlight at this show, notably, TECO, Far EasTone, and Gogoro all have offered relative solutions. According to statisti...
With the 2022 Smart City Summit & Expo scheduled to kick off on Tuesday at the Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2 from March 22 to March 25, and Kaohsiung Exhibition Center from March 24 to 26, exhibitors are quickly rolling out new products for this year, including TECO Group. In the past few years, TECO has exhibited at the show exhibiting the group's subsidiaries, concentrating on AI, IoT, n...
TIMTOS x TMTS 2022, the first international trade show and the first of its kind on the calendar, kicked off this Monday, with Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) Chairman Larry Wei pointing out that business orders generated from the mega show are expected to hit USD$$1.7 billion (NTD$47 billion). President Tsai said that in the face of the impacts caused by the pandemic, as well ...
