From the marketing desk
Welcome to edition 4 of Behind the Wheel. Now while the temperatures in the northern hemisphere may be dropping, things have continued to hot up at JATO this month.
We’ve seen the release of similar vehicles in Vehicle Viewer for our OEM customers and had an amazing presence at IAA Mobility in Munich, where our Blue Forum presentation was well received. If you haven’t seen the video yet, check it out here .
Speaking of events, we’ve just been to Fleet LatAm in Mexico City where our own Helen Fisk, Jesper Rolink, Luis Brizuela, and Diego Vidrio met potential customers, networked with current ones, and learned about new trends and potential markets! Read more later.
Finally, we’re always interested to hear what you think of our products. That way, we can match them to your requirements. See below to join the research panel and have your say.
Yours in motoring,
Mark Talmage-Rostron
Content & Design Manager
User research
At JATO we don't just talk about our leading products and solutions, we also listen to what you want. That way we can shape future products to match your exacting requirements. Best way to do this is to set up a research panel that we'd like you to be a part of. There you'll be able to share your insights, provide feedback on prototypes, and influence the development of our products. Keen? Sign up .
Sell van leases? Well, you'll be glad to know that there is a separate research group for that. Be a part of it and you can help shape a new tool we’re working on that will allow you to find the right van for your customers' needs. Interested? Sign up .
JATO in the news
The Chinese automotive industry is continuing to gain a strong foothold in European and other global markets. On that score, we published a press release on how Chinese car brands have outsold Audi and Renault in Europe in August. A massive shift in the market and its current and future impact on other established European brands will be felt. We will be releasing 20 reports so look out for those soon.
The story was so juicy and informative that it was soon snapped up by Automotive World who printed a segment of the press release on 23 September. Take a look at the full press release on our site.
Deep dive data
More than 43,500 units were registered by Chinese car brands in August – a 121% year-on-year increase and more than the individual volumes recorded by several major European brands. Combined registrations of Chinese car brands last month were higher than those of Audi (41,300 units) and Renault (37,800 units). Although registrations by Chinese car brands comprise 40 different brands, the top five players (MG, BYD, Jaecoo, Omoda, Leapmotor) account for 84% of the total.
Curious to learn more? See our latest press release.
OEM news
For those automotive customers who are signed up to Vehicle Viewer, we are happy to report that its capability has been further improved. With the release of Similar Vehicles, users can now benefit from the ability to make side-by-side comparisons of automatically selected vehicle versions. The comparison view allows customers to identify how each similar vehicle differs from the benchmark, making competitive analysis more intuitive than ever. For more information speak to your account manager.
Advisory news
The first investigates how India’s electrification market is shifting towards premium segments in H1 2025, with EVs accounting for 3.2% market share, selling over 87 thousand units at a growth rate of 65.6% year-on-year.
The second gets under the bonnet of how by focusing on credit schemes and targeted incentives for new vehicles, Mexico’s automotive market is short circuiting customers’ lack of purchasing power.
The third looks closely at how despite the Japanese government's investment into improving the EV charging infrastructure and providing financial incentives and tax benefits, consumers are still choosing hybrid electric vehicles over battery electric vehicles.
Retail news
As always it has been a busy month in Retail, and the next few months are set to be even busier. The team will be attending the AM Live motor show on 12 November at the NEC in Birmingham. We will be on Stand A20, so if you can make it to the event, drop by and we will demonstrate how our dealer solutions Sales Link and VINView Pro, and the release of our new 'Compare API' can help you deliver similar vehicles and side by side comparisons to make your business more competitive and drive revenue.
Leasing and fleet news
This month we attended Fleet LatAm in Mexico City. There were presentations on how tariffs, politics and the economy affect fleet costs and what levers can be pulled to secure savings and ensure business continuity, plus an insight into the OEM Ecosystem and how emerging brands are challenging the status quo, and how AI is being used within fleets.
Our very own Jesper Rolink performed a deep dive into the Brazilian, Argentinian, Mexican and Chilean markets. Part of his insights were that 2 out of 3 cars sold in LatAm are in Brazil and Mexico, 86% are produced in Brazil and Mexico, and that 23% of Brazilian companies are using operational leasing for their fleets, both cars and lcvs, with 40% considering introducing this funding method.
Overview of local markets
As an established global company operating across 51+ countries, it stands to reason that there will be a lot happening in all the geographies that we have a presence in. That ongoing activity has brought about the aggregation of a lot of meaningful and actionable data that will be beneficial for you and your business. We’ve been busy putting together an overview of the regions we operate across, so read on to see what has been happening across Europe, Asia Pacific, and The Americas this month.
Europe
The bi-annual IAA Mobility show took place in September in Munich, Germany. All home manufacturers were present and displayed a combination of upcoming new models and technologies into the future.
Key vehicle highlights included the all-new electric Mercedes GLC, Volkswagen’s first electric ‘GTi’ ahead of its global introduction next year, Swedish firm Polestar with its four-door GT model, the Polestar 5 and GAC’s vision for future urban air mobility with the ‘Aircab’ concept.
Volkswagen launched a bi-directional charging pilot scheme under its ‘Elli’ brand, with a focus on pioneering battery and energy tech. Additionally, Volkswagen Group’s collaboration with AWS and its future AI integrations were on display.
UK car production fell in August, breaking a two-month growth run, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The figures, 37,072 units rolled out of factories, came before the cyber attack on the UK’s largest automotive employer, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the effects of which will be visible in September’s performance, highlighted from October data onwards.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “Given this incident and the industry’s importance to jobs, growth and trade, rapid delivery of the Industrial Strategy and Drive35 is now critical. The sector is resilient, but SMMT is engaged with members and the government to understand what additional supportive measures may be needed.”
Commercial vehicle production also fell, down73.2% to 1,621 units, driven by the consolidation of manufacturing operations at a major manufacturer. CV output year-to-date, meanwhile, is down -54.4% to 35,922 units.
Combined UK vehicle production was down 18.2% in August to a total of 38,693 units, the weakest performance since 1956.
The UK government has recently confirmed it will underwrite a GBP 1.5 billion loan guarantee to JLR in a bid to support its suppliers as cyber attacks continue to halt production. Business Secretary, Peter Kyle said the loan, from a commercial bank, would project jobs across the UK, in particular in the West Midlands and Merseyside.
The manufacturer has been forced to suspend production since being targeted by hackers at the end of August, and concerns are mounting that some suppliers, including small businesses, could go bust due to the shutdown.
Porsche recently announced it will slow down on its EV production. The German marque shelved a future battery-powered luxury SUV and said it would add more combustion-engine and hybrid models to bolster its model ranges.
.jpg)
Asia Pacific
Chinese electric car makers invested more abroad than at home for the first time in 2024, new data from Rhodium Group showed recently, as fierce domestic competition makes it almost impossible for manufacturers to turn a profit.
Automakers have benefited from years of subsidies and other government policies aimed at making China a global automotive power and the world's leader in electric vehicles, but overcapacity and aggressive price cutting have rocked the industry.
According to reports, national OEMs in the world's No. 2 economy are locked in relentless price wars that are deepening deflationary pressures, while fears of a flood of cheap Chinese cars have sparked trade tensions with key partners — strain the export-driven economy can ill-afford amid the recent flurry of tariffs imposed by the U.S.
Meanwhile, the value of Chinese domestic investment in the EV value chain plummeted from USD 94 billion in 2022 - a peak - to just USD 15 billion last year, the data showed.
China’s PHEV market suffered its worst year-on-year performance since June 2020. Latest data showed powertrain sales grew by just 3.2%, compared with July 2024. This is the worst result since a 51.4% decline during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first time this year, the BYD Seal 06 topped the monthly PHEV chart. In second place was the Aito M8. The model first saw sales recorded in China in April.
Meanwhile, the country’s battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sector recorded an improvement compared to July 2024, with an increase of 34.5%.
The Americas
Nissan is thinning its U.S. electric lineup in response to slowing sales, President Trump’s import tariffs and the looming expiration of a federal tax incentive for buyers. Nissan will pause U.S. market production of its compact Ariya electric crossover for the 2026 model year. “This decision enables the company to reallocate resources and optimize its EV portfolio as the automotive landscape continues to evolve,” Nissan reported. The Trump administration’s 15% import tariff has undoubtedly hurt the Japanese-made EV’s profitability in the U.S.
Several automakers, including Stellantis, Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen, have also cancelled or delayed EV projects in anticipation of falling demand after the federal USD 7,500 EV tax credit expired on September 30.
Nissan has also delayed four next-generation electric models it had planned to build in Canton, Missouri.
Mexico recently said it will raise tariffs on automobiles from China and other Asian countries to 50%, in a broad overhaul of import levies the government said would protect jobs and analysts said was aimed at placating the U.S. The Economy Ministry said the moves, which will increase tariffs to varying degrees on goods across multiple sectors including textiles, steel and automotive, would impact USD 52 billion of imports.
"They already have tariffs," Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard told reporters when asked about the import levies on Chinese cars, which are currently 20%. "What we will do is raise them to the maximum level allowed. "Without a certain level of protection, you almost can't compete," he added.
Ebrard said the measures were intended to protect jobs in Mexico as Chinese cars were entering the local market "below what we call reference prices."
Toyota will start making two battery-powered sport utility vehicles at its U.S. Kentucky plant, as part of a move to improve manufacturing efficiency and better serve market demand, the Japanese automaker said.
The company will assemble two new three-row battery electric SUVs it plans to make at Toyota Kentucky, Toyota Motor North America said in a statement, adding it is "strategically transitioning" production across its Kentucky and Indiana plants.
Behind the
wheel Newsletter
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get the latest industry news sent straight to your inbox.
Every month, we bring you a round-up of industry updates, including:
- Automotive markets overview
- Retail news
- Leasing news
- Professional services news
