Electric Mobility Trends & Analysis

Follow PSR’s ongoing global coverage of eMobility across a wide range of segments, including electric cars, commercial vehicles, electric motorbikes and e-buses.

Maruti Suzuki To Build EV-Battery Plant

INDIA REPORT 
Aditya Kondejkar

The development work has already been started on a project codenamed YY8 planned for 2024-2025.

Source: Economic Times.    Read The Article

Major auto players in India like Tata Motors, MG Motors and Hyundai have already announced their investment plans in the electric vehicles sector, there wasn’t any formal announcement from Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest automaker. But now, the penny has dropped.

Suzuki Motor, parent of Maruti Suzuki, says it has signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat State government, and plans to invest Rs 10,440 crore in there to build an EV and battery factory. The MoU was signed at the India-Japan Economic Forum held in New Delhi.

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Korea To Increase EV Battery Material Production

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
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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Yanmar  Acquires Fast Growing Battery Technology Firm

EUROPE REPORT
Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

Yanmar Holdings Co. Ltd, the multi-billion dollar multinational company headquartered in Osaka, Japan, has acquired a majority of shares of a young and fast-growing ELEO Technologies B.V. from theNetherlands, this month. The acquisition has been completed through European’s subsidy, Yanmar B.V. An earlier investor, Lumipol Group, has entirely exited the company.

As a part of Yanmar Power Technology Co, Ltd, Eleo will continue operating as an independent entity under its existing brand and with production located in their current site in Helmond, the Netherlands.

ELEO Technologies B.V. was founded in 2017 to design and produce innovative modular electric batteries systems for use in marine, industrial machine, e-mobility, commercial vehicles or specialized recreational product applications.

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Hybrid Electric-Hydrogen Maritime Propulsion System Being Developed

EUROPE REPORT
Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

Germany-based Torqeedo GmbH and Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH are jointly developing a hydrogen hybrid propulsion system for the marine industry. The ambitious and innovative project is provisionally named “Ma-Hy-Hy” (Marine Hydrogen Hybrid) and is funded by the Bavarian federal government until 2024.

Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH specializes in a high-tech innovative, climate neutral energy solutions,  especially in CO2-neutral and emission-free hydrogen fuel cells and electric hybrid systems for stationary, automotive, rail and maritime applications. Development and production sites are located in the Munich area.

Torqeedo GmbH, as a part of the Deutz group, is a market leader in development and production of lithium batteries, solar charging equipment, electric and hybrid drives. It offers outboards and inboards, electric motors and hybrid drive systems ranging from 0,5 to 100 kW on motor level (up to 200 kW on system level).

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