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Aftermarket Summary
Slovak aftermarket is very competitive. In Slovakia there are over 2,400 car shops and 1,108 tire service shops. Basic service portfolio includes high professionalism, quality assistance in car repair under warranty as well as out of warranty, regular checkups, full scale maintenance, fast replacement parts & accessory delivery, breakdown assistance/vehicle rescue and replacement car.
As of May 2018, Slovakia implements most of the amendments to EU’s Directive on the Conditions of Operation of Vehicles. The obligation to repair a car after a major accident (damage of critical components, supporting frame, airbags, vehicle suspension, steering and brakes) in a certified car shop will enter into force as of January 1, 2020. Certificates will be issued by CPA - The Slovak Guild of Vendors and Car Repair Shops according to which about 269,000 vehicles are repaired annually due to accident or damage, out of which less than five percent (13,000) are seriously damaged. 76 certified car shops are already CPA’s members.
Electric Vehicles Market
The Slovak car manufacturing industry produces about 6,000 electric and hybrid cars annually, including the Volkswagen e-up!, Touareg Hybrid, and the Audi Q7 e-tron, the first plug in diesel hybrid in the world. Green cars represent 0.1% of all cars on Slovakia’s roads. The low interest in green cars is due to their relative high price, limited charging station network, longer charging times, short distance
Best Prospects for U.S. Exports
The development of applied R&D in the automotive production field is critical for continued sectorial growth, with target opportunities including smart production (intelligent manufacturing with digitalization, sensors, internet of things and robotization), innovative materials (composite, organic, memory), components, complex solutions, adjacent processing, 3D printed equipment and recycling of waste.
The Slovak government and the Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic (AIA)
share the goals of supporting and streamlining professional education, creating an R&D base, supporting sub-suppliers and improving cooperation with OEM automobile manufacturers, and finalizing the law on the disposal and recycling of old automobiles.
Integration of Slovak research workstations into R&D of cars, development of components, aggregates, technologies for car production, and car assembly is fundamental and must be consistent.
best prospects