According to the European Manufacturers Association, sales of hybrid cars accounted for 19.6% of the market last year. Exactly the same level as the Diesel, which fell by more than 50%. And if we combine all the electrified cars – that is to say hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric – they even exceeded sales of gasoline vehicles in the fourth quarter. Faced with the shortage of electronic chips, manufacturers have given priority to equipping their most profitable models, including electrified models. 100% electric cars represented 9.1% of sales and plug-in hybrids 8.9%. It should be noted that traditional engines still represent the majority of registrations in Europe with 59.6% of volumes.
Another big first: the Toyota Prius takes the lead in the ranking of the most stolen cars in 2021.
With 227 thefts per 10,000 cars, Toyota’s hybrid car tops Auto Plus magazine’s annual ranking, based on data from nine insurers. Explanation: the Prius is coveted for its catalytic converter which is trafficked for the rare metals it contains”, and “whose prices are soaring on the markets”. This model exceeds the luxurious DS 7 SUV Crossback and the sporty Renault Mégane RS, which were first and second in the ranking in 2020, and which have dropped one place.Other very popular models follow in the ranking: the Renault Clio 4 and Mégane 4, the SUV Peugeot 3008 and Toyota C-HR, the compact DS 3 and Peugeot 208. With 122,700 cars and two-wheelers, thefts remained in 2021 at a lower level than before the pandemic, close to the figures for 2020.
And since we are talking about precious metals, the controversy swells in relation to the electric car.
The Europe of electric batteries, imposed by Brussels, which signed, as we recall, the death warrant of the thermal engine in 2035, risks having a delay in ignition. And this, due to the lack of strategic metals. To store and circulate electricity, or to improve the efficiency of the anodes inside the batteries, metals such as lithium, nickel, graphite, or even cobalt are needed. And the problem is that Europe does not produce them and must import them. A meeting of Ministers of Industry of the 27 was held on this subject in the north of France. “We have a real dependence on fossil fuels for cars right now […], we wouldn’t want to go from one dependency to another”, says the French Ministry of Industry, which was at the origin of the meeting.
We end with Ferrari, for whom 2021 was the year of all records
The prestigious brand with the prancing horse delivered 11,155 cars in 2021. A figure up 22.3% compared to 2020. Turnover increased in the same proportions. In addition to the sale of cars and spare parts, income from sponsorship and derivative products increased by 10% thanks to a more favorable Formula 1 calendar. Ferrari plans to do better this year. In particular, the brand will begin production of a highly anticipated model: its first SUV, which will be called Purosangue.