Edge Computing Brings Data Closer To Home

News: Industry Segments

2021-06-27

Edge Computing Brings Data Closer To Home

John Krzesicki
John Krzesicki

It’s often said that there’s nothing new under the sun, only new ways of doing old things. That may be especially true in how we handle data.

Ever since Power Systems Research began tracking global production of engines and powertrains in 1976, its analysts have been alert to new trends surrounding power and data movement.

Today, as three essential metrics in data handling change— cloud costs, volume and processing time—, the structure of data networks also is changing. In many cases, it’s not practical to send vast amounts of data to the cloud to be processed and then wait for the results. Now, it’s often necessary to have smaller data centers located near the activity, at the edge of the action, if you will.

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DATAPOINT: NA Harvesters, 2021 Production, 550 Units

550 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Harvesters to be produced in North America in 2021. This 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.

Market Share: Dominating the NA market for Harvester production is Deere with 50.5% of total units produced.  In second position with combined plant total of 20% is Oxbo “International; third is Flory with 13%.

Trends: In 2020, production of Harvesters in NA decreased 17%.  Production is expected to increase 19% in 2021 over 2020.  The Ag industry has fluctuated over the years and demand for new products has declined.  Due to falling commodity prices in recent years, farmers/cultivators can’t afford new equipment and have spent years of refurbishing existing units.

Uncertainties of COVID-related factors led farmers to avoid spending nominal profits on new machinery. Over the past several years, the dramatic fall in net farm income in 2015 and 2016 seems to be leveling out at a lower level. However, America’s farmers are enduring the impact of a continuation of the current trade war with China. 

On the flip side, the harvester production increase is attributed to the desire for new machines to increase productivity and to end up with a profitable yield.  Expect production to fluctuate over the next 3-5 years with a slight gain of 5% by 2025.   PSR

Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, at Power Systems Research

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Happenings in Europe

Chris Fisher
Chris Fisher

We have heard during the past few years that battery electric commercial trucks will ultimately replace the diesel-powered internal combustion engine for commercial trucks.  At some point in the future this might be true for short and regional haul freight carriers, but what about the long-haul heavy truck segment? 

Currently, the lack of charging infrastructure, range anxiety and the extreme weights associated with the batteries will be a significant deterrent to mass adoption of long-haul battery electric trucks. 

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2021-06-22

DATAPOINT: NA Skid Steer Loaders, 2021 Production Forecast: 95,100 Units

95,100 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Skid Steer Loaders to be produced in North America (Canada and the U.S.) in 2021.

This 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.

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2021-06-19

CTT Bauma Moscow Shows Growing Optimism in Russian Construction Market

Maxim Sakov
Maxim Sakov

The CTT Bauma trade show is main event of construction industry in Russia. Since 2017 it’s owned and operated by Messe Munich. The show was conducted this year in Moscow May 25-28 in its usual place, the Crocus Expocenter. Last year, the fair was off because of the COVID pandemic, but this year we saw that both the exhibition and construction industries are showing a growing trend. The fair’s indoor exposition was restored to three pavilions, and the outdoor exposition also grew in size versus 2019. There were 351 exhibitors from 17 countries, somewhat better than last time. A total of 184 brands were represented.

Here is, however, one unpleasant factor. Most of the international OEMs did not participate in the fair this time. Wirtgen, Volvo, Cummins, Caterpillar, Ammann, Hyundai, Renault, Komatsu machines were missing from this fair. John Deere, Doosan, Kato, and some other brands were limited, having only small booths, set by the local dealers. Many Russian machine makers, who usually participate in the fair, also ignored the event. Among them – GAZ, Chetra, DST-10, Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, YAMZ.

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2021-05-24

GAZ Increased LCV Production by 19% in Q1 2021

Maxim Sakov
Maxim Sakov

The GAZ plant in Nizhny Novgorod has made 11,300 LCVs in Q1 2021, according to the Trade Ministry of Russia. That’s 18.7% higher than the same period of last year. HD truck production by the GAZ Group increased by 29% in Q1 2021, from 1,700 to 2,200 units.

In total, according to the Russian Statistic bureau “Rosstat”, production growth of Russian on-highway vehicles increased by 13.7%. OEMs have made 402,800 units. LCV output has grown by 37.7%, trucks by 27.1%, and passenger cars by 12.1%.

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PSR Analysis: Statistics show that now we are seeing the realization of pent-up demand, which is especially active for commercial vehicles. For passenger cars, this process is also visible (four times sales growth during April), but already it is coming to an end, and after few months we can expect to see negative figures in this segment.    PSR

Maxim Sakov is Market Consultant-Russia Operations for Power Systems Research

Russian AG Machinery Exports Double in Q1 2021

Maxim Sakov
Maxim Sakov

Exports of Russian AG machines more than doubled in Q1 2021 versus the same period in 2020; exports have reached US$ 53 million (3.9 billion rubles).

Rosspetsmash, the Russian Association of Manufacturers, notes that Russian OEMs showed record high figures for 2020, reaching US$ 214 million (15.9 billion rubles). For Q1 2021, Russian AG machines were shipped to 23 countries. Exports of AWD tractors are up by 2.8 times, and combines, by 46%. The exports to Germany have increased by five times, to Bulgaria by 65%, and to Poland by 49%.

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Mahindra To Set Up New Plant for Farm Equipment

Aditya Kondejkar

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M), market leader in the Indian tractor industry, is betting on farm equipment because of increasing demand. The decision is greatly influenced by the healthy agricultural output, record sales for tractors and reverse migration since last year.

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PSR Analysis: The company is trying to enter the untapped farm mechanization segment in the country. According to Mr. Hemant Sikka (President Farm Equipment Sector Mahindra) this market has very high potential as India has only 1% share of the global farm equipment market vs. 10% of the global tractor market. 

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Vinfast Begins Taking Orders for EVs

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Vinfast, an emerging Vietnamese automaker, has started taking orders for its first EV, the VFe34. The VFe34, a C-segment SUV crossover type, uses a 42kWh battery and can travel 300km on a full charge. The domestic sales price is VND 690 million(about 3.31 million yen). The battery will be provided on a subscription basis (fixed fee service). The monthly fee is set at VND 1.45 million, the same level as the cost of running on gasoline. When the battery’s charge performance drops below 70%, it can be replaced with a new one. This is said to reduce the initial cost for customers and at the same time guarantee the quality risk of the battery.

As a promotion until the end of June, the company will offer a discount of VND100 million and a free battery subscription service for one year. In addition, customers who replace their gasoline-powered cars will receive VND30 million per car from the Vin Group’s Green Future Fund. If they cancel the purchase, the deposit of 10 million dong will be fully refunded. According to Vinfast, 3,692 orders were recorded in 12 hours after the start of orders on the 24th.

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Komatsu Unveils Concept of Fully Electric Compact Excavator

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

On May 13, Komatsu announced that it had developed a fully electric compact excavator equipped with lithium-ion batteries. This is Komatsu’s first excavator that does not use cylinders or other hydraulic equipment in the drive unit. In addition to emitting no exhaust gas, the new excavator can be operated remotely and can be used in dangerous places.

Komatsu, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding on May 13, announced this concept model as a response to a decarbonized society.

For the time being, the company does not plan to sell it to the general public. This model is connected to the outside world via wireless LAN, and the driver can operate it remotely without boarding the machine. The remote operation makes it suitable for indoor demolition, disaster rescue, and other dangerous work sites.

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