With its Audi, Seat/Cupra, Skoda and VW brands, the Amag Group was able to increase its market share in a weak overall market in 2021. In the future, the car importer wants to expand the range of products and services.
As Amag boss, Helmut Ruhl has a good laugh. Electric cars like the Skoda Enyaq (left) and VW ID.3 are also booming in Switzerland.
What Helmut Ruhl, CEO of the Amag Group, reported last Friday at the annual press conference aptly describes the current situation on the Swiss car market. As for many Swiss companies, the year 2021 did not yet bring the hoped-for upswing for the Amag Group either. Corona and missing chips have caused problems for our country’s largest private automobile importer.
Nevertheless, Ruhl was satisfied: “The workshops were well utilized and the trade organization has succeeded in increasing the market share of our brands.” The Amag brands had a market share of 31.2 percent in Switzerland.
Everything on the electric car
What is certain is that people will drive different cars in the future and will also use these cars differently. Purely battery-powered models are currently experiencing a strong upswing – Amag alone, with its five brands, was able to deliver almost 10,000 electric cars in 2021. Even if these vehicles still pose a challenge in terms of manufacturing costs and retail prices, they will ensure well-filled order books in the current year.
No wonder, since they pave the way for the manufacturer to achieve the emission reductions required by law, and for the user they bring several advantages at the same time. The fact that they are locally emission-free is one thing – the fact that they are very comfortable and, in most cases, remarkably fast, is another. Also of importance for many users, which should not be underestimated, is the fact that they can be driven as easily as the bumper cars on the Chilbi back then. In one-pedal operation, without warm-up difficulties, without shifting problems, and always fully networked.
property secondary
Like the entire automotive industry, Amag is now introducing new purchase and usage models. Today, new vehicles can be bought, rented or subscribed to not only in the conventional salesroom at the brand representative, but also online. Ruhl: “Our customers use digital media – but they continue to come to the garage. Omni channel is the keyword.»
The car rental company Europcar, which belongs to Amag Services AG, now has more than 200 battery cars in its fleet. These can now be rented on a long-term basis, and customers are given the opportunity to drive a combustion model three days a month. These days can also be used cumulatively for a summer holiday trip.
Charging at public stations – which in many cases has been problematic up until now – should also become easier. As part of the Clyde subscription service launched in 2019, the electric car now receives a flat rate for charging. With the charging card, electricity can be refueled anywhere in Europe without any additional costs.
Car on subscription and now also with a flat rate for charging: Clyde.
In addition, Amag is launching a complete convenience solution for fleet customers under the new Volton brand, and the Aquacar digital service is now also available for private sellers. This gives an estimated price, which then serves as a neutral basis for negotiation for sellers and dealers.
Climate and sustainability
Amag wants to achieve a climate-neutral footprint by 2040. The many electric cars make an important contribution to this. But Amag boss Ruhl also assumes that the goals in the transport sector cannot be achieved with electromobility alone. Therefore, he attaches great importance to the participation in the solar fuel manufacturer Synhelion and the cooperation with Climeworks.
While the larger quantities of the synthetic fuels these companies produce are likely to be used by airplanes, ships and heavy-duty vehicles, owners of young and oldtimers are just as excited about them as are racers and fans of the good old gasoline or diesel engine.