Automotive • Forum

The automotive industry is experiencing a sea change, both environmentally speaking with green energy becoming a priority, and technologically speaking, with consumers’ tech-oriented demands.

Miguel Carsi PRESIDENT & CEO, TOYOTA

EUROPE IS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING MARKETS for the automotive industry. The start of Toyota’s manufacturing in Europe was difficult because we started with medium-sized cars. Now, we produce a whole range of cars in Europe. The challenge lies with the number of different choices and customers in Europe, as there is so much variety to consider in Europe, unlike other regions. We are a Japanese manufacturer despite having plants all over Europe. Being a manufacturer in Spain adds more value and is a new dimension for Toyota. Toyota is changing because the customer is changing. We see many new trends in customers, such as the use of mobile apps to manage cars, which is pushing us to move into areas we did not consider in the past. Previously, each time we launched a car, we worried about its size, engine, and the design. However, we were not really interested in the connectivity. Now, we have to look for other things and remain agile, as this is what the customer demands. It is complicated to achieve such agility in this industry. A car that has more than 30,000 parts requires time to adapt to these new trends. Furthermore, the public sector needs to set clearly defined and stable rules that do not change every few years, as changing an industry takes time, and we need time to adapt, change, and evolve. We have an avalanche of products that take time to be introduced and then consolidated.

José Maria Terol CEO, MAZDA

MAZDA STARTED AS A SALES COMPANY in 2000. We have had a successful story here, with continuous growth from 2000 to 2008, hitting sales records year after year. Then the recession hit in 2007, and we were heavily impacted. Eventually, the Spanish market began to recover, the exchange rate became more stable, and we went back to reasonable levels. We started a complete overhaul of our portfolio with the launch of our new design language, Kodo, and new technologies under the umbrella of the Skyactiv technology. This includes the update of all our platforms and transmissions. Thanks to these initiatives, we were able to come back; in 2018, we sold more than 21,000 vehicles in Spain. We have three pillars to continue our success, one of which is product. We are just starting a new refresh of our product with an evolution of the Kodo design language. It also includes a more premium feel and a highly improved level of quality in the materials we use. It is a better-designed product, competing at the same level as premium brands. Additionally, we have planned a complete renovation of our technology. We are launching a revolutionary combustion engine that is a petrol engine, but works as a diesel engine. This means that combustion is produced by the compression and not by the spark. Our goal is to reduce all the car’s emissions. It is something that will be introduced in most markets, but Europe is especially right for this kind of engine, because Europe has demanding emission policies.

Leopoldo Satrústegui GENERAL DIRECTOR, HYUNDAI MOTORS SPAIN

HYUNDAI ARRIVED IN SPAIN in 1992 when the distributor Group Bergé introduced the brand with three models. In 2009, Hyundai Motors Company purchased the Spanish subsidiary and became Hyundai Motor España, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai has learnt to take advantage of crises and manage well. When Hyundai acquired the subsidiary in 2009, it had a market share of 1.8%, but we closed with 4.9% in 2018. We have gone from selling 17,000 units to 65,000 units and have raised our quota by almost three points. Hyundai has also opted for new technologies in recent years. We offer a hydrogen car as well as plug-in hybrid and electric technology in the Bionic model. We are the first manufacturer to provide a sub-electric model with autonomy of 450MW. We are the fifth manufacturer in the world, and our next step is to lead the technological change. Our commitment to new technologies changes our image and clients’ perception of us. In the case of hydrogen technology, a supply of hydrogen is necessary, and no such thing exists in Spain, though there are a few, private points. We must invest in hydrogen and, thus, increase the possibility that people will buy hydrogen cars. Hydrogen produced with renewable energy is the cleanest of all, and it is one of the few energies that can be stored. In Spain, we have a great deal of capacity to produce renewable energy, but it goes unused because there is no storage capacity. However, electricity could be transformed into hydrogen and stored.