IndustryPage 16

Bosch might not stop the semiconductor shortage, but a huge investment in a new factory is a step in the right direction.

The CarExpert team is back for another week of podcasting, looking at the topics that made car news over the past week.

Australian market tops 100,000 sales, Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger the top two sellers, plus Kia eclipses Hyundai and nabs third!

Owners of electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen vehicles in Victoria will be expected to pay a per-kilometre road usage fee from July 1, 2021.

The Australian Government is investing billions in new infrastructure projects, road safety and an extension of its apprenticeship program.

Volvo has rebounded from the doldrums of 2020 and is set to hit a record 10,000 sales this year, a first for the brand.

Used car prices continued to rise in the first quarter of this year, with wholesale used car prices now up by 37 per cent over their pre-pandemic high.

Toyota was the best-performing brand in 2020 for CO2 emissions with its passenger cars, though its utes and large SUVs didn't do quite as well overall.

Toyota dominated in March, 4x4s that can tow a caravan sold in droves, Chinese cars were up nearly 200 per cent, and EVs gained traction.

Private sales skyrocket, Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger dominate again, surprise packet MG leapt into the top 10 brands, and Honda plummeted.

Carmakers are battling a crippling shortage of semiconductor chips worldwide. In the USA, President Joe Biden is pushing to up production.

Whether they're workhorses or weekend warriors, 4x4 pickups flew off dealer lots in record January numbers in 2021.

Private buyers drove a new car sales uptick in January 2021, despite many brands battling stock shortfalls.

The market grows for two months in succession, as a strong December gives grounds for optimism.

After a tough 2020 on the back of COVID-19, the Australian car industry is expecting sales to bounce back strongly in 2021.

Sales recoveries in the final quarter weren't enough to stop 2020 being the worst year for new vehicle sales in Australia since 2003. Toyota was dominant, the Chinese brands are booming, and utes topped the charts once again.