New Energy Automotive

Archive for the ‘Isuzu’ Category

After the fall in sales by product failure caused by the effects of the tsunami in Japan in March to its suppliers, the assembler Isuzu see signs of recovery and commercial battle now waged by the appreciation of the yen against the dollar.

According to figures from the National Association of Manufacturers of Buses, Trucks and Tractors (ANPACT) in the first nine months the company made sales of 1.257 units, i.e. 34% less than the same period last year, but in the next few weeks will be presenting at various fleet vehicles so expect to close the year with 3 000 500. His initial sales forecast before the tsunami was between 4 000 and 4 000 500 units this year.

“It delayed the delivery trucks had problems as a result of the tsunami in Japan and the effects that occurred in plants of several of our suppliers, but at the end of the year we will have standard delivery orders,” said Jorge Murakami, manager marketing of the brand.

He explained that fulfills orders Isuzu in 130 countries from its plant in Japan, so that recovery has been rapid, if one takes into account the damage that caused the natural phenomenon in March.

He said the yen-dollar parity-weight also influenced the utility company, since Japanese companies have had to suffer the appreciation of the yen against the dollar, located at its highest level in its history, to the extent that the Japanese government last week allocated eight billion yen ($ 102 billion U.S. dollars) to purchase tickets in U.S. currency intervention sought to contain the appreciation of the yen.

“Yet the price of our 2011 model truck that had kept the cost models 2010,” said Murakami.

The main consequence was the late delivery of its new models Elf Forward, launched late last year; production is used in Japan to lift the debris left by the tsunami. “As of November will start selling this model in Mexico,” said the manager.

With a 40% appreciation of the yen against the dollar and 35% between the dollar and the peso, the Japanese firm Isuzu applies formulas to stay in contention for the Mexican market for the distribution trucks.

Takeshi Wakayama, president and chief operating officer of Isuzu Motors de Mexico, said the impact of the exchange rate has affected only 1.5% increase in the price of their trucks, even if their operating costs have increased by up to 40 percent. “We worked hard on reducing costs to the interior, as we increase market would bring the increase to the customer.”

In the past seven years since the start of the operation of the enterprise Mexico, the yen’s value against the dollar went from 120 to 76 yen per dollar and 10 to almost 14 pesos per dollar. Most Isuzu trucks sold in the country are imported from Japan, hence the impact of parity on the currency in the operation remain in the country.

However, sales are going well, then consider closing the year with 4 000 units and thus overcome the 3 000 360 which sold in 2011. “The expectation of sale in Mexico for 2011 was about 4 000 500 units, but the tsunami affected the production and delivery of this product to the customer”, said Jorge Murakami, manager of marketing for the company.

He said that expectation made to retrieve a financing program exchange rate fixed, extend its service workshops for better customer service, as well as relying on product quality and performance that offers fuel consumption and maintenance costs. “We have 32 dealers and 48 service points by the end of the year came to 78 centers,” he said.

He said he will double the production of trucks at the plant that are in the State of Mexico, where last December began production of the Model Forward, an eight-ton truck and a load bus model for the transportation of passengers.