Lube-Tech PUBLISHED BY LUBE: THE EUROPEAN LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE


achieve 70mpg – apparently the project is alive and well – if somewhat delayed. However, it now appears that the car will cost $3,000 – which is around $1,000 more than its rival the Nano.


Speaking of the Nano, the first was delivered in July 2009 and Tata has announced that over 17,500 units were delivered in the year and that it now plans to ramp up production rates in 2010.


Several other automakers including Daimler, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Toyota and Reva also have plans for significant investments in India.


In 2009 China’s GDP grew to almost 5 trillion US dollars with a year on year change of just under 9%.


They certainly got it right where the automotive market is concerned – in 2009 predictions that China would overtake the US as the world’s biggest market came true, and figures released in January 2010 showed that China's auto sales had surged past the United States to reach record levels. Government incentives including slashing taxes on cars with engines smaller than 1.6 litres and subsidising clean-technology vehicles bolstered demand – making this a bright spot for carmakers that were otherwise severely battered by the financial crisis in other regions of the world. Vehicle sales in China reached a record 13.6 million units – an increase of more than 46% compared with 2008 figures and well above their target of 10 million units. Vehicle production also rose dramatically from 9.3 to 13.8 million.


These increases are also reflected in the total vehicle population which increased by 18%, reaching 60 million in 2009 – a trend that is forecast to continue well into the future. Car sales have mushroomed in China due to rising incomes – which have put private car ownership within the reach of many. In Beijing alone the number of registered cars exceeds 4 million – which means about a quarter of the capital’s 16 million residents now own a car – something, not so long ago, many would have considered an unaffordable luxury.


With high fuel prices and government incentives for the purchase of small engine cars Chinese customers are increasingly looking for new vehicles with better fuel economy. The five best-selling models in China in 2009 from BYD, Hyundai, Buick and Volkswagen – all come with engines smaller than 1.8 litres.


In 2008, the poor economy hit commercial vehicle production in China and around 100,000 fewer trucks were produced – but in 2009 there was a complete turn around. The growing economy has driven up production – which shot up by a massive 1.4 million units to reach just over 3 million.


Both light and heavy duty Emissions standards have progressed from Euro II through Euro IV, and plans are in place for Euro V in 2012 for HD applications.


In 2009 Korea’s gross domestic product grew by 0.2%. This growth was driven by rising consumer spending and strong industrial output, especially by the automotive and computer chip


22 LUBE MAGAZINE No.99 OCTOBER 2010


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industries. While domestic production fell in 2009, sales rose to 1.4 million units. Hampered by the global economic downturn, export production was off about 20%.


Market leader Hyundai Motor Company accounted for almost 80% of the country’s domestic sales. And the company increased its market share by 77% in 2009 – mainly owing to its aggressive marketing strategy and the fact that it has not suffered from the same financial problems as many other OEMs.


Hyundai Motor Company’s production capacity of some 6 million vehicles comes from plants in the local region, USA, China, India, Slovakia and Turkey – and most recently in the Czech Republic. And, with plans to expand production in Russia, China and Brazil, it is expected that these figures might top 6.8 million units by 2012.


Korean emissions standards are based on European specifications, with new trucks, buses and small cars now having to meet Euro V. The same requirement for large cars and light-duty trucks will be introduced from September 2010. As for the existing fleet, the standards will take effect from six months to two years later.


To help meet these standards both gasoline and diesel fuel came under new specifications in 2009 with tighter limits on sulphur, benzene, lubricity and cetane number.


As for CO2 emissions, a Fleet Average System or FAS was


introduced in January 2009, which is based on the US CAFE standards. The new system allows OEMs to produce cars with various emission levels as long as their average emissions meet the FAS limit. OEMs will receive credits for lower emission averages, which they can then deposit when their average gets above the limit.


Korea has had mandatory use of biodiesel since 2006. Plans call for gradual increases to B3 by 2012, and require the bio component to meet EN14214.


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