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Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. plans to establish a regional headquarters in Chile to oversee and expand its operations in Latin America. The move shifts the focus from solely selling new machinery to localizing parts supply and service support, enabling faster responses to dealers and customers.
Following the end of its joint venture with Deere & Company in 2022, the company has been independently growing in the Americas, initially prioritizing North America. The decision for a Chile-based HQ reflects cultural and operational differences from North America, as well as Chile’s importance in the mining dump truck market.
Goiânia (GO) will become the first city in the world to operate a regular fleet of 100%-electric bi-articulated buses, as a result of a partnership between Volvo and GreenMob Capital. The fleet includes 21 Volvo BZRT buses—16 articulated (with a capacity of approximately 180 passengers) and 5 bi-articulated (with a capacity of about 250 passengers). These zero-emission, ultra-quiet vehicles are slated to serve the BRT Leste‑Oeste corridor within the RMTC system, with initial operations scheduled to begin by late August 2025.
GWM has brought its Hydrogen powered by FTXT truck prototype to Brazil for tests at its Iracemápolis (SP) plant, coinciding with the factory’s inauguration Aug. 15, 2025. The vehicle combines a 105 kWh battery with 40 kg of hydrogen in onboard tanks feeding a fuel cell, producing only water vapor. Tests will begin in September, assessing safety, performance, consumption, and adaptation to Brazilian roads, first unloaded and later with simulated cargo.
Chinese machinery now accounts for 30% of Brazil’s market, up from 18% a decade ago. The agricultural sector, once dominated by local firms, now sees 13.2% of its machines coming from China. Abimaq warns of risks to domestic manufacturers, including loss of market and post-sales service challenges.
Despite concerns, 2025 shows recovery: agricultural machinery sales rose 22.8% through May, construction equipment 17.3%. Abimaq, the Machinery OEM association, urges government support and “equal” competition conditions.
PSR Analysis. This market rebound in 2025 is primarily driven by favorable weather conditions and government support for small farmers. However, high interest rates and limited credit for large producers pose risks. Meanwhile, Chinese machines are gaining market share, rising from 9.7% to 13.2% in agriculture and 30% overall, raising concerns about post-sales support and declining local industry competitiveness. Without policy changes, foreign content—especially from China—will likely continue displacing domestic production long term. PSR
Fabio Ferraresi is Director, Business Development, South America, for PowerSystems Research
If current trends continue, Brazil is set to once again become Mercedes-Benz’s largest truck market worldwide, surpassing Germany as it did in 2023. This outlook was confirmed by Achim Puchert, global CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks and former head of the Brazilian operation from 2022 to 2024.
Deere & Company estimates that Brazil will become its second-largest global market within the next five to ten years, surpassing Europe in sales of tractors, harvesters, and other agricultural equipment.
The forecast is based on the expansion of Brazilian agricultural production, particularly soybeans, corn, and sugarcane. According to Cristiano Correia, Vice President of Production Systems for Latin America, “no other region shows a compound growth rate in grain production comparable to Brazil’s over the next decade.”
The Illinois-based company is holding its first Investor Day in Brazil in over a decade in 2025, gathering around 40 investors from North America, Europe, and Asia.
Deere projects a 27% increase in Brazil’s planted grain area by 2035 and expects corn-based ethanol production to double during the same period.
According to data from the National Association of Road Implement Manufacturers (Anfir), the trailer industry registered a 2.4% decline in registrations during the January–May 2025 period, totaling 60,495 units compared to 62,001 units in the same period of 2024.
The most significant contraction occurred in the heavy-duty segment—trailers and semi-trailers—which registered 30,304 units, reflecting an 18% year-over-year decrease.
Agrishow 2025, held April 28-May 2, 2025, in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, confirmed Brazil’s leadership in Agricultural innovation. The show spotlighted sustainable tech, automation, and digital solutions, with both business and attendance increasing since the last show in 2024. The focus: boosting productivity, reducing environmental impact, and preparing for a tech-driven ag future.
Four representatives of the Power Systems Research South America Office representatives attended the 30th edition of Agrishow, Latin America’s premier agricultural technology fair. The event showcased cutting-edge machinery, sustainable solutions, and the latest in precision agriculture.
Carlos Briganti, Managing Director South America Operations for Power Systems Research (PSR), participated in a major article on the future of diesel in trucks and buses in the March 2025 issue of AUTODATA magazine.
AUTODATA is a leading provider of technical information and software solutions for the automotive aftermarket. AUTODATA specializes in delivering up-to-date, manufacturer-verified technical information used for servicing, maintaining, and repairing cars, light commercial vehicles, and motorcycles.
A study by Power Systems Research published in the magazine notes that fossil fuel and its renewable variants such as biodiesel and HVO will dominate the cargo and passenger transport scene for many years to come.
As reported in AUTODATA, the PSR survey indicates that diesel, with small portions of a mixture of biodiesel and HVO, is now responsible for driving 99% of trucks and buses in Brazil, a percentage that drops to 94% in the European Union, 89% in the United States – and it is not because more low-emission alternatives are used there, but because 7% of the fleet is powered by gasoline. Another 3% run on natural gas and only 1% correspond to electric models. China is more advanced with 81% diesel, 10% gas and 9% electric. PSR
(Click the Read More» link to view the report in the full post.)
Heavy truck production in Brazil fell 3.7% in Q1 2025 versus the same period in 2024, totaling 16,700 units, according to Anfavea. The decline is attributed to high interest rates (Selic), which have limited fleet renewal despite a record grain harvest.
Heavy truck sales also dropped 7% in the quarter, with 13,000 units registered.
OEM Performance – Heavy Trucks: Volvo: 3,900 units sold (+4% YoY); Scania: 3,500 units (−17%), and Mercedes-Benz: 2,100 units (−13.5%)
Despite the contraction in the heavy segment, total truck production grew 8.2%, reaching 31,700 units. The Medium-duty truck segment production was 8,900 units (+28.5%) and the Light-duty truck production was 4,500 units (+10%)
AUTODATA Power Systems Research 
