Le Marché Automobile Américain

The American Automotive Market

Table des matières

Introduction 1

GMC’s Strategy 1

Ford’s Strategy 2

Nissan + BMW’s Strategy 4

Volkswagen’s Strategy 4

Toyota’s Strategy 6

Synthesis 8

Introduction

The US automotive market is the homeland of car industry. We can find American brands as Ford and GMC the two leaders of the market which after big troubles in 2009, are increasing their sales. But also foreign brands like Toyota and Nissan from Asia, and Volkswagen and Fiat from Europe which are taking more and more market share in this market.

Before going further, it is important to mention that these companies own several car brands. For example, GMC owns Cadillac, Chevrolet and Opel; three brands world renowned. Consequently when I am talking about GMC’s strategy it includes all these brands and the way the group uses each one of them to develop its image, its positioning and its sales.

GMC’s Strategy

After the crack of 2009, the company sold four of its brands (Pontiac, Hummer, Saturn and Saab), they fired 44 000 employees (out of 244 000), closed several factories and about 1 500 concessions on a 6 000 network.

A team has been settled to reduce costs. In the US, the number of employees is going down: from 91 000 to 65 000. Remuneration as well: the US auto workers’ union has agreed to put in $14 an hour wages of newcomers (against $28 for older employees). The automaker also cut its portfolio of brands. “It helps to focus its marketing and advertising spending,” said Xavier Mosquet, director of the Detroit office of the Boston Consulting Group. GM is now focused on utilities for GMC, Buick and Cadillac for luxury and premium and Chevrolet for the mass market. For Opel brand confined to the European market, GM sought a buyer, before turning back: the company holds a valuable expertise in the field of small cars.

About models, the revival has also been initiated. The group ended up designing efficient vehicles, better tailored to compete as the Chevrolet Malibu. With the Sonic, just launched, GM is one of the few to offer a small city car in the US. And the Volt, an electric vehicle that develop the notoriety of Chevrolet brand. GM stopped also to put low quality plastics in the cabin. This allows raising prices. Today, “the average selling prices have all risen about 2 000 dollars per vehicle,” said Xavier Mosquet.

Ford’s Strategy

Key to that strategy, dubbed “One Ford,” is the consolidation of the Ford product portfolio. Rather than duplicate efforts from one market to another, Ford is focusing on products that can be built and sold around the world, such as the new 2012 Focus. By creating economies of scale, Ford can “can make up” for the lower margins made on vehicles like the Focus, which have traditionally been a drag on the company’s balance sheet, according to Ford’s Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth.

Ford has counted on sales in North America to generate the lion’s share of its earnings to date, placing emphasis on big, profitable trucks like the full-size F-150 pickup. While those offerings won’t go away, company planners recognize that even the U.S. is on a downsizing path. Worldwide, Mulally’s new growth plan predicts that small cars and crossovers will account for 55 percent of Ford’s sales volume by 2020, up from 48 percent at present.

Standing out in a crowded field won’t be easy for Ford. The carmaker is taking a multi-pronged approach, among other things promising to “democratize technology,” according to global marketing czar Jim Farley. For example, when Ford reintroduced a new Taurus in 2010, the car featured a “cross-traffic alert system,” designed to detect oncoming vehicles when the car was backed out of a parking spot. The technology had only just debuted on the significantly more expensive BMW 7-Series.

Story: Ford to offer new minivan as hybrid-only model

Ford is also putting a premium on fuel efficiency. In fact, global product development chief Derrick Kuzak has proclaimed a goal of “being the best, or at least being among the very best, in terms of fuel economy, in every segment where we compete.”

That goal may gain some traction at a time when fuel prices are again nudging record levels, but Ford isn’t the only carmaker emphasizing mileage. With the launch of its updated Accent, Hyundai now has four different car models delivering highway mileage in excess of 40 miles per gallon.

Meanwhile, Ford has continued to lag as an also-ran in the hybrid segment, well behind Toyota, despite the steady rollout of new models like the Lincoln MKZ, which was notably the first product on the market that allowed buyers to choose either a conventional gasoline engine or an optional gas-electric powertrain at no additional cost.

Ford hopes to break out of the battery ghetto over the next several years by launching five advanced electric vehicles, including a pure battery-electric version of the Focus, as well as both standard and plug-in hybrid versions of the upcoming C-Max microvan.

Story: Ford plans to triple electric vehicle production

“This is our Prius fighter,” said Farley, announcing that the C-Max will become the first dedicated hybrid model in the Ford vehicle line-up. The carmaker is hoping the distinctive shape and attributes of the new “people mover” will yield the same sort of brand halo that Toyota has gotten with its dedicated hybrid.

With the addition of the C-Max Hybrid and plug-in C-Max Energi — as well as the Focus Electric and other new electrified offerings — Ford hopes to nearly triple sales of its battery-based vehicles to 100,000 a year by 2013.

But that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the global sales increases Mulally has in mind.

Ford’s management team is betting that, like Toyota, its electric vehicle program will burnish the automaker’s corporate image, underscoring its commitment to both technology in general and fuel efficiency in particular.

Indeed, Ford will need to project a clear sense of leadership if it’s to crack the industry’s established order.

Nissan + BMW’s Strategy

BMW and Nissan Motor Co. have turned to unconventional

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