2025-06-22
The April 2025 issue of Guy Youngs’ Alternative Power Report presents articles on Tesla sales and other activities. It also contains several reports on battery development . PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
Hino Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation have reached a final agreement to merge their operations in April 2026, but what will this mean? A basic agreement was initially reached in 2023, but the decision was delayed due to irregularities in Hino’s engine performance certifications. The merger will finally move forward following Hino’s settlement with U.S. authorities.
The commercial vehicle industry has undergone rapid changes over the past two years of stalled negotiations, so both companies will need to quickly demonstrate the benefits of the merger to make up for lost time. The biggest change is the tightening of environmental regulations.
In May 2024, the European Union (EU) strengthened CO₂ emission regulations for large trucks. By 2030, emissions must be reduced by 45% compared to 2019 levels. This is an increase from the previous target of 30%. By 2040, emissions must be reduced by 90%, a very strict requirement.
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.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems achieved record 2024 performance, with revenue rising 11% to US$5.56 billion (€5.05 billion), surpassing the US$5.5 billion (€5 billion) mark for the first time. Adjusted operating profit jumped 40% to US$728.2 million (€662 million), boosting return on sales to 13.1% (up from 10.4% in 2023).
CEO Dr. Joerg Stratmann credited the results to a focused strategy in energy, government, marine, battery storage, and services. “We’ve grown our market share in mtu products and see strong future potential,” he said. The division recorded US$6.60 billion (€6 billion) in orders, signaling a positive outlook for 2025.
684,000 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Outboard Engines expected to be produced worldwide in 2025.
An Outboard Motor is a propulsion unit for boats consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom.
This product information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink™ , which provides information on engines, and OE Link™, a database of equipment manufacturers. PSR
For details, download the complete report above.
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research
The rising demand for zero-emission mobility goes beyond the nice idea of preventing a catastrophic climate crisis. EVs are a better fit for the connected, electrified lifestyle of the 21st century; they offer more opportunities for convenience, they are more useful for weathering power outages and climate-connected emergencies, and they are more adaptable to the needs of fleet managers, among other advantages.
However, while some researchers note that “salt batteries” are not quite ready for prime time, other stakeholders — including industry leader CATL — are already laying plans for mass production. Last month, CATL also burned up the Internet when it announced a suite of two sodium-ion batteries ready for full volume production by the end of this year.
The U.S. had a robust policy in place to promote the adoption of electric cars, and it used all the tools conservatives say they like — carrots such as financial incentives instead of sticks such as mandates. But now, according to the IEA (International Energy Agency), USA is moving backwards while the rest of the world continues to move forward.
In its EV Global Outlook 2025 report, the IEA says that 20% of new cars sold worldwide in 2024 were electric, a definition that includes plug-in hybrids as well as battery-electric cars.
A decade ago, many people believed hydrogen fuel cells were the future, not battery-electric cars. The debates raged and it was common to have press releases, auto executive statements, and debates about the future of hydrogen-powered cars.
In the last decade or so, the market apparently has decided that hydrogen-powered cars do not make sense, and they can’t compete in the market as a result. Despite this situation, there are still plenty of discussions, trials, and vehicle development programs for hydrogen-powered trucks.
2025-06-14
MOSCOW—(TASS) Sales of heavy trucks in Russia in 2025 may decline by 23% year-on-year to 85,000 units, Mikhail Matasov, Deputy General Director of the Russian truck producer Kamaz, told reporters. “The market will be poor in 2025. We currently estimate it at 85,000 units against 110,000 this year. We think that 85,000 is even optimistic,” he said.
Matasov noted that the decline in sales can be attributed to a decrease in demand for cargo transportation.
“If there is no construction, then there will be fewer dump trucks (needed). We also provide trucks for cargo transportation industry – if there are fewer of them, then there will be fewer haulage trucks,” he explained.
“The plan for 2025 is, in my opinion, 10,000 units. But we don’t know if there will be that many, because Chinese brands have large warehouse stocks,” Matasov added.
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