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Hitachi To Launch Remote Excavator in FY2023
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Hitachi Construction Machinery says it will release a medium-sized hydraulic excavator that can be operated remotely during fiscal 2023. Workers will be able to remotely operate the excavator without getting on the machine during construction of housing sites and rivers. Demand is expected to increase due to labor shortages at construction sites, and the company will introduce the medium-sized models, which are widely used.
The main target is hydraulic excavators with a body weight of 10 to 30 tons. Hitachi Construction Machinery will prepare a body that can be remotely controlled and will install the necessary remote-control controller and video system in consultation with the customer.
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Honda Plans Personal Electric Motorcycles
JAPAN REPORT
Honda said it plans to produce a motor-driven electric motorcycle for individuals in Japan by the end of 2023. This will be the first time Honda produces a product for the public in Japan.
Overall, Honda said it plans to launch more than 10 models of electric motorcycles worldwide by 2025. Their goal is to increase overall sales, including pedal-powered and electric bicycles, mainly in China and India. The company plans to increase its sales to 3.5 million units worldwide by 2030, more…
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Vingroup To Enter EV Cab Market
VIETNAM REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Vingroup plans to launch a cab business using EVs in the country in April. The founder and chairman of the company has established a new company, owning a 95% stake. The company plans to start the service in Hanoi, the capital of the country, and expand it nationwide within the year. The company also hopes to increase awareness of its products.
The new company, Green and Smart Mobility (GSM), is capitalized at US$ 128 million (VND3 trillion, approximately 17 billion yen) and will develop a cab business using EVs as well as a business that rents EVs and electric bikes to other cab companies, etc. GSM plans to use 10,000 EVs and 100,000 electric bikes.
Source: The Nikkei
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Hitachi Construction Machinery Raises Product Prices
JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Komatsu will continue to raise prices substantially in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. This will be at the same level as the current fiscal year. The impact of price increases on consolidated operating income is estimated to be in the range of 100 billion yen.
This is approximately 20% of operating income for this fiscal year. Although the impact of high raw material prices will lessen in the next fiscal year, there are concerns about an economic slowdown. While the benefits of the yen’s depreciation will diminish, they will build a profitable structure to further increase the operating profit margin from less than 13% in the current fiscal year.
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Japanese Auto OEMs Seek Battery Production in NA
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Major automobile manufacturers are actively investing in automotive lithium-ion batteries. Nissan is leading among the Japanese automakers, followed by Honda and Toyota. Along with the motor and inverter, the vehicle-mounted lithium-ion battery is considered one of the “Three Sacred Treasures” of EVs.
In particular, the on-board battery is the most important as it is the source of power. In many cases, EV production will not be possible without securing a large supply of batteries through partnerships with major battery manufacturers. However, the number of battery makers with which the major automotive companies have partnered is limited: CATL ranked first in the global automotive battery market in 2021, with 39% of the market. It was followed by LG Energy Solutions (18%) and Panasonic Holdings (12%), with the top three companies accounting for 70% of the market.
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Hyundai To Start Operations at Plant in Vietnam
FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro A joint venture between South Korea’s Hyundai Motor and Vietnamese conglomerate Thanh Cong Group has started operations of an automobile plant in the northern Vietnamese province of Ninh Binh.
With an annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, the combined annual production capacity with the existing plant will reach 180,000 by 2025. The company will ship domestically as well as to neighboring countries. The new plant, operated by the joint venture Hyundai Thanh Cong, will have an investment of 3.2 trillion dong (about 18 billion yen). The plant will cover an area of approximately 50 hectares and include a test driving course.
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Thailand Kubota Takes Measures To Secure Manpower
SOUTHEAST ASIA: THAI REPORT
Akihiro Komuro In Thailand, one of the most industrialized countries in Southeast Asia, automation is accelerating in the manufacturing industry as the working population tapers off. Workers’ attitudes are changing, and fewer Southeast Asians are migrating to Japan. Business models based on cheap labor are no longer viable in Asia.
When I visited the Amata City plant of Siam Kubota, a locally incorporated subsidiary of agricultural machinery giant Kubota Corporation, I saw countless automated guided vehicles (AGVs) running in every direction.
Sales of tractors and combine harvesters are booming, thanks in part to the government’s special demand for subsidized farm machinery for those who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 disaster and are now returning to their hometowns to start farming. The fruits of this policy are being returned in the form of year-end bonuses, and Siam Kubota is not suffering from a labor shortage at this time.
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Electric Light-Duty Trucks Must Meet 5% METI Goal by FY2030
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) now requires shippers that transport a large volume of freight to set a target of using 5% electric light-duty trucks by FY2030, which includes EVs and fuel cell vehicles (CVs), but not hybrids.
They will also be required to submit periodic reports on their progress toward this target. If the efforts are significantly inadequate, the committee can make recommendations to shippers and publicly announce the names…
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Hyundai Plans $14.7 Billion for Software Development
FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Hyundai Motor Company is getting serious about developing the software needed for automated driving, etc. It has decided to invest $14.7 billion by 2030 and has begun building a development structure and embarking on M&A.
Hyundai Motor Company has achieved record profits through a shift in strategy in conjunction with a generational change. The company plans to further improve profitability in the software field, where customers can add functions to their cars after purchase. But acquiring human resources will be an immediate challenge for Hyundai.
The “Over the Air (OTA)” function, which updates the latest software via the Internet, will be standard on all new models released in 2023 and after. The plan is to establish a system that allows users to be charged according to function updates. The company will first introduce content such as car navigation systems, audio, lighting, and remote-control functions, and then expand into peripheral areas such as auto insurance policies, to diversify and upgrade services in response to customer needs.
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EV Purchase Subsidies Planned To Promote Sales
SOUTHEAST ASIA: 6 MAJOR COUNTRIES REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Indonesia plans to introduce a subsidy program to encourage the purchase of EVs starting in 2023. The goal is to increase the number of EV users to 2.5 million by 2025 and reduce air pollution. The EV purchase subsidy program will be added to the list of EV policies introduced by President Joko Widodo over the past year.
Transportation Minister Boudi Karya Sumadi said the government is also considering subsidies for retrofitting internal combustion engine vehicles, but the government is carefully considering this plan because it would bring major changes to the labor-intensive auto industry. The Ministry of Transport plans to approach existing Indonesian automakers, such as South Korea’s Hyundai Motor and China’s BYD, to create an EV ecosystem for Borneo’s new capital city, he said.
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