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Hyundai Sells More Than 800 EVs at Indonesia Auto Show
FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Hyundai Motor Indonesia (HMID) said it has signed contracts for more than 800 units of the Ioniq 5 EV announced at the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) Hybrid 2022 in Jakarta.
The company announced that it has started mass production of the Ioniq 5 and that it will begin shipping to dealers in April. The Creta SUV was the second most sold model after the Ioniq 5, with approximately 600 units sold, bringing the total number of vehicles sold to over 1,500, including EVs and gasoline-powered vehicles.
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MEGURI2040: The Fully Autonomous Ship Program
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The Nippon Foundation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. have successfully completed a demonstration test of the world’s first fully autonomous ship navigation systems on a large ferry, conducted on the Iyonada Sea from Shinmoji, Kitakyushuu City, in January.
This demonstration was part of MEGURI2040, a fully autonomous ship navigation project launched by The Nippon Foundation in February 2020.
Japan’s declining birthrate, aging population, and shrinking population have resulted in labor shortages in many fields. Seafarers in coastal shipping, which requires hard work on board, are no exception. More than half of the seafarers in coastal shipping are over 50 years old, which poses a major challenge.
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Korea To Increase EV Battery Material Production
FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Korean materials giants are rushing to increase production of battery materials for EVs. Lotte Chemical plans to invest 160 billion yen to build plants for electrolytes and other materials in Korea and the U.S. LG Chem and POSCO have also announced plans to increase production. The three major Korean battery manufacturers, including LG, have active investment plans, but they are lagging their Chinese counterparts in the upstream area of battery materials. Materials companies are also increasing their supply capacity to compete with the Chinese.
Lotte Chemical, a major petrochemical company, will build a new plant for organic solvents for electrolytes in its own plant. The company will build a new factory with a total investment of 602 billion won, aiming for production by the end of 2023. The company is also considering building a plant related to electrolyte and cathode materials in Louisiana, U.S. It has begun coordination with local governments and other related parties in anticipation of starting production in 2025. The investment is expected to be in the order of 100 billion yen.
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Thai Incentive Program to Promote EVs, Starting in 2022
SOUTHEAST ASIA: THAILAND REPORT
The Thai government plans to introduce an incentive program to promote EVs starting in 2022. The program will focus on providing subsidies to lower sales prices and reducing excise and import taxes. Automakers taking advantage of the program will be required to produce EVs locally from 2024 onward.
According to local media, the subsidy is 70,000 to 150,000 baht per vehicle, depending on the model and battery capacity. The excise tax on purchases will be reduced from the current 8% to 2%. Import duties will be reduced by 20-40% depending on battery capacity and sales price. The current maximum tariff rate is 80%, but the trade agreement will impose no tariff on Chinese-made products and 20% on Japanese-made products. Japanese-made products are also expected to be tariff-free if they meet the conditions. The current sales prices of imported cars vary from about 1 million baht for EVs from China’s SAIC Motor Group and Great Wall Motor to about 1.5 million baht for Nissan Motor’s LEAF at campaign prices.
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Yanmar Makes Major Battery Buy
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Yanmar Holdings Co. Ltd. announced it has acquired a majority share in ELEO Technologies B.V., a battery technology company based in Helmond, the Netherlands. By integrating ELEO’s advanced, scalable, and modular battery technology, Yanmar said it will further its electrified powertrain capabilities with customized solutions for off-road applications.
After joining the Yanmar Group as part of Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd., ELEO will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity under its own brand at its current location in Helmond, the Netherlands.
Founded in 2017, ELEO Technologies develops and produces advanced modular battery packs which are differentiated by their proprietary battery management system (BMS) and thermal management technologies. The company is near completion with a new advanced production facility that will increase its annual battery production capacity to 500 MWh, equivalent to approximately 10,000 battery packs.
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Hon Hai Delivers First EV Bus To Kaohsiung City in Taiwan
TAIWAN REPORT
On March 3, Hon Hai Precision Industry delivered its first EV, the Model T commercial bus, to a bus route operator based in Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. The company aims to deliver 30 buses by the end of this year to expand its EV business, which is a new entry into the market, and the key to its future growth will be the extent to which it can break away from its business model that relies on contracted production of iPhones.
The "Model T" was delivered to Kaohsiung Bus Company.…
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Sony Unveils EV SUV, Announces Collaboration With Honda
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro On March 5, the Sony Group unveiled its prototype EV “VISION-S” SUV to the public for the first time in Japan. The vehicle brings together Sony’s strengths in sensor, audio, and video technologies. On March 4, Sony announced a partnership with Honda, and the two companies will jointly develop EVs through a new company in which both companies will invest, with the aim of launching the EVs in 2025.
Following a sedan-type prototype announced in 2020, Sony unveiled an SUV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a digital technology trade show held in the U.S. in January 2022.
The side mirrors will have no mirrored surfaces and will use images and data collected from nearly 40 sensors, including those in the front and rear of the vehicle, to enhance safety. The dashboard has three displays that can show movies and other content in addition to driving information. Inside the car, Sony’s audio technology is used to provide a realistic music experience.
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Thai Oil Corp and Hon Hai To Produce 50,000 EVs in 2024
THAILAND REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Thailand’s state-owned energy giant, PTT says it will start producing EVs in 2024 in a joint venture with Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry. They will build a plant in eastern Thailand with an annual production capacity of 50,000 units, which they plan to increase to 150,000 units by 2030.
PTT and Hon Hai have established a joint venture company, Horizon Plus, which is 60% owned by PTT and 40% by Hon Hai, to produce EVs. The two companies had signed a joint venture agreement in September 2009. The total investment is expected to be US$ 1 billion to US$ 2 billion.
Based on the platform for EVs developed by Hon Hai, the company will produce vehicles in cooperation with auto parts companies clustered in Thailand.
Thailand, the largest auto producer in Southeast Asia, has set a goal of having 30% of its domestic vehicles be EVs by 2030. However, Japanese automakers, which account for 90% of the domestic production, are prioritizing EV production in Europe, the US, and China.
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Doosan Bobcat Aims at NA Market with Fully Electric T7X
SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Doosan Bobcat unveiled the world’s first fully electric construction equipment to the global market through CES 2022, the world’s largest technology exhibition.
Doosan Bobcat held a media day event at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas to introduce the T7X, which won two CES 2022 Innovation Awards.
The T7X is the world’s first fully electric construction equipment that eliminates all hydraulic components. It is comparable in performance to existing internal combustion engine equipment and emits no harmful substances. Noise has been greatly reduced to one-tenth the level, and energy efficiency has been maximized.
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Yamaha Motor To Launch Electric Motorcycles in Europe
JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Yamaha plans to launch a series of electric motorcycles in Japan and overseas this spring. Electric motorcycles with an engine displacement equivalent to 125cc will be leased and sold on a trial basis in Europe, Japan and other countries. In response to the global trend of decarbonization, Yamaha has set a goal of reducing CO2 emissions to virtually zero by 2050. The 125cc equivalent electric motorcycle has been on the market in Taiwan, but this is the first time it has been offered in Europe and Japan.
The motorcycle has been developed based on the E01 concept vehicle, which was unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. The company avoided mentioning specifics about the range and other specifications but said that the E01 would be equipped with a high-powered fixed battery that can run at high speed while meeting the range requirements for daily use, and that it would support quick charging as well as normal charging.
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