Kawasaki unit sales up
For the three months ended June 30, 2021 (the first quarter of its 2021/2022 financial year), Kawasaki reported wholesale unit sales for its Motorcycle & Engine business division as being up by +31.25% in Europe at 21,000 units (compared to 16,000 for the Covid impacted 2020 period).
Unit sales to all 'developed markets' were +89.66% for the period at 55,000 units in total, compared to 29,000 units for the same period in 2020. All of Kawasaki's developed markets were up for the quarter. Sales in the United States were up by over 230% at 20,000 units, compared to just 6,000 for the same period in 2020.
Emerging market unit sales were up by +144% at 61,000 units, with the Philippines its largest such market (+121% at 31,000 units for the period). Developed market net sales revenue was 46.6bn yen compared to 24.7bn yen for the year-ago period (a +88.66% improvement).
Unit sales translated to net sales revenue of 113.5bn yen for the quarter (+54.5% over the 58.9bn yen recorded for the corresponding period in 2020, for an operating profit of 14.8bn yen (a substantial improvement over the -5.9bn yen loss incurred for the year-ago period).
New company and major investments
Kawasaki parent company KHI has announced a new company within the KHI Group, investment in products and upscaled global manufacturing abilities.
Hiroshi Ito, President of the Motorcycle & Engine Company at Kawasaki Heavy Industries, says the headline news is of a US$265m (€ 224m) investment to increase production capacity for the USA and rest of world markets over the next five years.
"This will include expansion of the existing factory in Nebraska and the creation of a new manufacturing facility in Mexico, which will create thousands of more jobs in the US and Mexico.
"Kawasaki is also increasing investments in new product development, especially in the growing MULE, ATV and JetSki markets, as well as innovative new street motorcycles, our new electric, hybrid and hydrogen power source projects and off-road motorcycles".
Kawasaki had already announced that it will change its organisation significantly "in order to enable agile action in the rapidly changing world". At the beginning of October 2021, Kawasaki's worldwide powersports - covering motorcycles, JetSki personal watercraft and recreational vehicles and its general purpose engine businesses - will become an independent company to be known as 'Kawasaki Motors, Ltd' with Mr. Ito as its first President and CEO.
