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Electric Light-Duty Trucks Must Meet 5% METI Goal by FY2030
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) now requires shippers that transport a large volume of freight to set a target of using 5% electric light-duty trucks by FY2030, which includes EVs and fuel cell vehicles (CVs), but not hybrids.
They will also be required to submit periodic reports on their progress toward this target. If the efforts are significantly inadequate, the committee can make recommendations to shippers and publicly announce the names…
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CV Production Nears Pre-covid Levels
INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar A favorable mix of factors is propelling demand for commercial vehicles to their best-ever pre-covid-19 volumes in India. Even though the CV segment has not reached its 2018 peak, it is expected to grow by double digits in the current fiscal year.
This growth is based on healthy demand and a relatively low base last year. While the sales are in green for all the major OEMs, market leader Tata Motors has reported year-over-year drop of 3%.
Source: Auto News Read The Article
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Solaris Buses Purchases 25 Fuel Cell Engines
EUROPEAN REPORT
Emiliano Marzoli Ballard Power Systems has announced the sale of 25 hydrogen fuel cell engines to repeat customer Solaris Bus & Coach, a leading European bus manufacturer.
The 70kW fuel cells will be installed in Solaris’ Urbino 12 hydrogen buses for deployment to Polish public transport operator MPK Poznań and are expected to be delivered in H2 2023.
The buses are to be partially funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management’s Green Public Transport program. MPK Poznań requires 30% of its fleet to be zero-emission by 2028. These 25 hydrogen fuel cell buses will increase its zero-emission fleet from 18% to 25%.
Source: Ballard Read The Article
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BorgWarner To Produce Vehicle Batteries in Brazil
BorgWarner said it will start producing battery systems for electric vehicles in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil, by Q1 2023 with declared annual capacity of 1,000 electric units.
The plant in Piracicaba formerly belonged to Delphi and was acquired by BorgWarner in 2020. The plant will receive a production line from Akasol, another company acquired by BorgWarner.
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Acquisitions in Light/Medium EV Segment
NORTH AMERICA REPORT
Chris Fisher 2022 has been an interesting year on many commercial vehicle fronts including the medium and light electric commercial truck and van segment. While large established OEMs such as Ford, who is expected to produce approximately 6,500 E-Transits at the Kansas City plant in 2022, there has been some shakeup within the electric commercial vehicle start-ups.
During the past six months, Mullen Automotive, based in Brea, CA, has acquired the assets of the now bankrupt Electric Last Mile (ELMS) company and has acquired 60% of Bollinger Motors, which has yet to start vehicle production.
In September 2022, Mullen Automotive invested $148 million into Bollinger Motors, giving Mullen a 60% share of the company. Bollinger plans on introducing their electric class 3 – 6 lineup of cargo vehicles starting in 2023 and it is likely that Bollinger will also manufacture the Mullen electric light commercial vans also starting production in 2023.
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Randon Acquires US Trailer Maker Hercules
Randon, an Brazil-based OEM, has agreed to invest $40 million to acquire the US-based trailer manufacturer Hercules. Randon’s purchase agreement for Hercules is expected to be finalized within 120 days. Randon Implementos is the largest semi-trailer manufacturer in Latin America. The company maintains a manufacturing park in Argentina and works with partners to assemble semi-trailers at several points in Central America and Africa. It is the main Brazilian exporter in the segment, with a historical market share of 60% in exports.
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São Paulo Partners with ENEL To Replace Diesel Buses
Fabio Ferraresi The City of São Paulo has announced a partnership with Enel, an energy supplier, for its bus fleet electrification project to be completed by 2024. Under the agreement, the city will get funding for the project of R $ 8 billion. The plan calls for the replacement of the fleet of combustion buses with non-polluting models.
According to the city, Enel is one of the main stakeholders in the project and should assist companies in logistics, infrastructure and the feasibility of electric vehicles based on their experience in Latin America.
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Foton Aumark Shuts Down Operations in Brazil
Ten years after starting operations in Brazil with the import of Trucks and plans to have a local plant, Foton Aumark do Brasil (FAB) is preparing to go to court against the Chinese brand, claiming breach of contract. The company was created by economist Luiz Carlos Mendonça de Barros, former president of BNDES and former director of the Central Bank.
Source: Automotive Business Read The Article
PSR Analysis: The volumes of Foton were always very small and the situation will…
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New Vehicle Sales Increase 33% in September
SOUTHEAST ASIA: 6 MAJOR COUNTRIES REPORT
New vehicle sales in the six major Southeast Asian countries totaled 317,765 units in September, up 33% from the same month last year. The figures were compiled from new vehicle sales statistics released by automobile industry associations and other organizations in each country. This is the 12th consecutive month that sales have exceeded those of the same month last year; the economic recovery from COVID-19 continues, with sales up 8% compared to September 2019, even before the spread of the infection.
Indonesia, the largest new vehicle market in the region, saw a 19% y/y increase to 99,986 units. This was the highest single-month sales volume in 2022. The tax exemption for some models ended at the end of September, and there appears to have been a rush demand for new vehicles.
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Semiconductor Development Companies Set Up
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The full details of the government’s goal of a next-generation semiconductor development system have been revealed. Led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and in cooperation with the private sector and overseas countries such as the United States, a new company will be established to mass produce next-generation semiconductors, and a new R&D center will be launched. This is the first time that a comprehensive system for research and mass production of advanced semiconductors has been established.
The new structure has two pillars. The “LSTC (Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center)” will be established by the end of this year as a research and development center for next-generation semiconductors. The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tohoku University, RIKEN, and others will participate in the LSTC, which aims to be an open R&D platform for both domestic and international use so that the results of research can be put to practical use. The company is also considering collaboration with the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), which is scheduled to be established in the United States.
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