STANDARD & LEGISLATION - UCIF Informs
Automotive Industry: One of the Greatest (Industrial) Victims of COVID-19 Marcello Zinno UCIF – Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, Milan, Italy
A
info@ucif.net
s we wrote in the article
Will this value be offset by a growth in
The ever-increasing integration of
published in the previous
purchases, once the economy has definitively
electronics and sensors in cars has been
issue of ipcm , 2020 has
restarted? It is difficult to say, but several
a further challenge for the automotive
already entered history and it will be
elements could act as a positive boost for
industry for some years and, after 2020, it
remembered as an annus horribilis.
the sector. The first one is the ever-growing
will be even more crucial. In fact, it would
We investigated the pandemic’s impact
trend towards electric mobility, not only
enable not only to differentiate one’s own
on the economy and its different
due to private individuals’ greater sensitivity
products and gain market shares, but also
effects, in terms of both market and
towards the environment and emissions, but
to offer advanced technological tools that
society. Lockdown, reduction of work,
also to the numerous incentives allocated by
are economic at the same time (the price
and consumption contraction have
the governments for this type of technology.
changes for raw materials are certainly
®1
greater than those of
economy and, unfortunately,
mechanical components,
some sectors have been more
© CLEPA
produced effects on the general
in terms of technological
affected than others have.
obsolescence), which would
These include the automotive
result in greater profit. It
one: the investment for the
should also be noted that
purchase of a new car or for
mobility has long been
the replacement of the current
experiencing profound
one has become a non-priority
transformation: The concept
for private individuals, in a time
of private cars is switching
when health, basic necessities,
to transport service (see
and savings have taken over
the numerous car sharing
the buying behaviour of many
or carpooling services
people. On the other hand, this
available, now also applied
sector’s crisis has also started
to two-wheeled vehicles).
on the supply front, as the first
This will most likely place
lockdown led China to stop its
a different importance
industries and, therefore, to halt
on accessories related to travel comfort, compared
the processes upstream of the main world manufacturers’ production
The greater autonomy of these
with factors linked to engine performance
chains. Already in March 2020, there
vehicles and their growing presence
and car aesthetics. It is therefore not
was a drop in registrations by 85% and
(Fiat has also focussed on the electric
necessarily true that the vehicles already
the estimated global data for the first
500, even donating the first unit
produced and waiting to be sold are
semester forecast a drop by 11 million
built to Italian President Mattarella),
adequate to face these new trends. On the
units (light vehicles only), down to 77.9
which definitely result in a drop in
other hand, these prove that, in this period,
million produced cars per year.
their selling price, are factors that
automotive manufacturers (and all their
bode well, although, at least in Italy,
satellite activities) cannot avoid to rethink
the nationwide urban recharge
their businesses and invest, in order to
infrastructure is still limited.
meet the new market requests.
1 M. Zinno, “Has the pandemic changed economic dynamics?” in ipcm® International Paint&Coating Magazine no. 63 (May/June 2020), p. 152.
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N. 64 - JULY/AUGUST 2020 - international PAINT&COATING magazine