China’s latest inflation data reveals a clear shift beneath the surface, the AI-driven industrial cycle is now feeding into price pressures , even as consumer demand remains subdued. Key Takeaway China's producer prices rose at the fastest pace in nearly four years, driven by stronger demand for AI-related electronics, computing infrastructure and industrial metals. However, soft consumer inflation suggests domestic demand remains weak, highlighting a growing divergence between industrial activity and consumer spending. AI Demand Is Driving Factory Inflation Producer prices (PPI) rose 3.9% YoY Strong demand from: AI infrastructure buildout Electronics and semiconductors Industrial metals like copper and aluminium The global AI spending wave, especially data centre expansion is now directly influencing China’s upstream pricing power. Consumer Demand Still Lagging CPI grew only 1.2% YoY , below expectations Core inflation softened to 1.1% Weak consumption rem...
Hybrid vehicles accounted for 32.8% of all new car sales in the European Union (EU) in September, surpassing the market share of petrol-powered vehicles for the first time, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). The overall car market in the EU saw a 6.1% decline in sales year-on-year, with major markets like Germany, France, and Italy continuing to stagnate.
The growth in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales reflects a trend where consumers view hybrids as a more affordable compromise between combustion and all-electric vehicles (EVs). However, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have slowed due to differing policies on green incentives and the imposition of tariffs on cheaper Chinese EV imports.
In total, electrified vehicles — which include BEVs, PHEVs, and HEVs — made up 56.9% of new passenger car registrations in September, up from 50.3% the previous year. Hybrid electric vehicle sales increased by 12.5%, while petrol vehicle sales dropped by 17.9% to a market share of 29.8%.
ACEA’s director general, Sigrid de Vries, expressed concerns over the slow growth in the EV market, stating that Europe is still far from achieving the robust, reliable growth necessary for a green mobility transformation.
Comments
Post a Comment