Cars as far as the eye can see. By tens of thousands. The ro-ro center of the port of Haven is today at a level close to “ saturation ” On this site of more than one hundred hectares, the equivalent of a hundred football fields, there are currently some 50,000 new vehicles waiting to be delivered in dealerships in France, or waiting before leaving for France. ‘foreign. Each year, imports of new vehicles, mainly from Korea, Turkey, Spain and Morocco, account for 60% of the ro-ro center’s activity. The 40% of exports concern vehicles produced in French factories.
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A market in free fall
With an occupancy rate of around 90%, “ our terminals are almost saturatednot, underlines the direction of the Grand Maritime Port of Le Havre. But this is a constant for logisticians who have had to work for years ‘’ in saturated mode Pour ’to meet the new expectations of their manufacturing customers, which requires longer storage days. “ In particular to ensure “ customization “ vehicles, in other words complete preparation according to customer orders.
This impressive image of cars lined up on kilometers of parking testifies to the state of health of the automotive industry even if, observes the GPMH, “ activity is restarting with the delivery of vehicles to our terminals to dealerships and the restart of industrial activity in several countries, but also in France “
In recent weeks, factories have resumed production. This is the case, in particular, at the Renault factory in Sandouville where production of utilities was restarted at the end of last week. This is also the case at Dieppe, at Alpine, where, however, the future of the factory is today suspended from announcements to be made by the Renault group next Friday (read elsewhere).
It is in this difficult economic context (the automobile market fell 88.8% in April in France), that Emmanuel Macron must unveil today his Plan to support the automotive industry. In the entourage of the Head of State, we promise “ important announcements. “ “ This plan has different components : industrial sovereignty, transition to clean vehicles, and also aims to preserve the sector’s competitiveness “, specifies a close relation of the president of the Republic, who adds that it is the president himself “ which will bring the sector plan to its level “, given the challenges: “ There is an industrial challenge, a challenge of jobs and transformation of the sector towards the transition and the conversion towards clean vehicles “.
Prior to the presentation of this plan, which is of a particular nature in Normandy given the weight of the automotive industry in the regional economy, Bruno Le Maire and Elisabeth Borne, the Ministers of the Economy and the Ecological Transition, carried out “ un big preparatory work “. Bruno Le Maire said last Thursday in Le Figaro that the support plan would be geared towards green technologies. He asked in return for a relocation of production to France.
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Nuances on site closings
In this area, the government has raised the tone last week vis-à-vis Renault, in which it is a shareholder up to 15%. Bruno Le Maire gave the green light for a loan of 5 billion euros to commitments.
For him, there can be no question of closing a factory like that of Flins.
Yesterday, the Minister of the Economy somewhat qualified his remarks last Thursday by affirming that the government does not require Renault that it does not close any site in exchange for a loan guaranteed by the state. “ BOf course we will be attentive to each job, but we want to leave it to Renault to adapt its production tool “, said Bruno Le Maire, on BFMTV.
According to the Minister of the Economy, the aid plan for the automobile sector will be accompanied, in return, by commitments on investment and employment in France. This plan would be built around several major axes, such as boosting the demand for clean vehicles in order to “ rrenew the French car fleet “, assistance to SMEs in the sector, and manufacturers’ commitments in the areas of non-outsourcing and the production of new electric and hydrogen vehicles, in particular. “ Imanufacturers must commit to being shareholders of the alliance for electric batteries (…). It will be 40 % of the value of the vehicle, it is necessary to repatriate the battery production in France “, adds Bruno Le Maire.
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Dieppe does not want to be a “disastrous symbol” like Vilvoorde
On the eve of the presentation of the recovery plan for the automotive industry, Sébastien Jumel wrote to Emmanuel Macron to draw his attention to the future of Alpine in Dieppe.
The approximately 380 employees of the Alpine factory in
Dieppe, anxiously await the announcement of the savings plan to be unveiled by Renault this weekend. The group management invited staff representatives to a meeting on Thursday evening, during which it
“ formalize what she calls the $ 2 billion cost reduction, in which we can expect further downsizing or even site closings “, explained yesterday
Fabien Gache, the CGT representative at Renault.
What about the future of Alpine in Dieppe, one of four threatened factories? On the eve of the announcement of the recovery plan for the sector, the deputy
Sébastien Jumel (PCF) wrote yesterday to the head of state
to remind him of the importance of the factory in the economic landscape of the Dieppe region and explain to him how Alpine is
“ the proof ” one
“ industrial revival “ is possible in the automobile “made in France”.
For him, the closure of the factory
would be
“ a terrible counter-signal that the savings measures envisaged by the manufacturer pass by profit and loss this reality, this symbol, the lives of nearly 400 employees and their families. “ According to Sébastien Jumel, there is no question of Dieppe becoming
“ a disastrous symbol “ as in 1999, the closure of the Renault Vilvoorde factory in Belgium.
A very uncertain future for the Dieppe plant. (PN file photo)
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A very uncertain future for the Dieppe plant. (PN file photo)
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Measures expected to revive the market
An ecological bonus
at 8 000 euros
The plan to be presented today by Emmanuel Macron must encourage the French to buy electric cars. According to indiscretions of
É things and
Parisian, the ecological bonus should therefore drop from € 6,000 to € 8,000 for individuals. For professionals, the ecological bonus for the purchase of an electric car should drop to € 6,000 after being halved. It was a demand from the sector, because with the fall of the bonus, orders by professionals had declined. However, they represent more than half of new car purchases.
A bonus for plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrid vehicles will receive a bonus. It should be € 2,000. These vehicles combine an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, as well as a battery, enough to cover a few dozen kilometers every day in all-electric mode.
An extended conversion bonus
The automotive plan should also review the system of the conversion bonus. Very popular since its launch in 2018, as it was used to acquire used cars, it had been planed last summer. It was too expensive for state finances. The new version of the premium should increase to € 2,000 for low-income households, and € 4,000 for very low-income households. Who will really benefit, what will be the conditions? These points should be clarified on Tuesday.
Aid for the installation of charging stations
The Macron plan for the automotive sector should also include aid for the installation of charging stations, to reassure the French in their use of electrified cars. As such, the plan should help finance kiosks installed at home, for example in condominiums. In addition, a few days ago, the Secretary of State for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, had requested the deployment of 100,000 terminals by 2022 on the highways where, for the moment, they are still very rare.
Specific measures are expected to boost the electric car market. (File photo)
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Specific measures are expected to boost the electric car market. (File photo)
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