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Honda Launches Electric Bike for Business
Honda announced the “GYRO e:” and “GYRO CANOPY e:” as planned commercial models of electric three-wheeled scooters for business use that use replaceable batteries. The new models will be marketed as the Honda e: Business Bike series together with the BENLY e: business electric two-wheeled scooter, which has been sold to corporate customers since April 2020.
The GYRO series will be used in many business applications such as deliveries. The GYRO series is a three-wheeled model with one wheel in the front and two in the rear to increase stability, and there is also a “CANOPY” model with a roof and wipers that can handle a little rain.
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Vehicle Exports from Brazil Grew 22% in January

Fabio Ferraresi With 25,000 units shipped in January 2021, exports of vehicles grow 21.9 % compared with January 2020 and 24.2% compared with December 2020. The volume surprised ANFAVEA, which was expecting worse numbers because of the effects of the pandemic in the South American Countries, traditional destinations for Brazilian vehicle exports.
PSR Analysis: This result is positive compared to our initial forecast of a slow recovery of South American countries. On the other…
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Truck News: Ask The Expert

Chris Fisher What changes do you see in the PSR Truck Production Index in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter of 2020?
Overall, we are seeing stronger momentum for commercial truck orders and sales which bode well for production in Q1 2021.
Supply chain issues will impact short term production as companies are still having difficulty with staffing numbers and various virus protocols that disrupt production. These problems are expected to continue throughout at least the first half of the year.
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Semiconductor Shortage Forces Automobile Production Cuts

Aditya Kondejkar Officials at Volkswagen, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Toyota and Nissan all say they have been hit by the shortage and have been forced to delay production of some models in order to keep other factories running.
A widening global shortage of semiconductors for auto parts is forcing major auto companies to halt or slow vehicle production just as they were recovering from pandemic-related factory shutdowns.
“This is absolutely an industry issue,” Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said in an email. “We are evaluating the supply constraint of semiconductors and developing countermeasures to minimize the impact to production.”
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Italy’s CNH and China’s FAW in Talks Over Truck Maker Iveco
CNH Industrial is in talks with China’s FAW over the future of truck maker Iveco, the Italian-American group said recently after sources told Reuters it had revived previously aborted negotiations.
Source: Reuters Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Another positive development in the industry during such a gloomy crisis, FAW fits the merger success story I just mentioned about the few surviving companies. There are for sure many challenges ahead with the acquisition, particularly…
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VW To Build $3 Billion EV Plant in East China

Jack Hao VW China has increased its share in the electric vehicle joint venture JAC Volkswagen to 75% and obtained joint venture management rights. At the same time, it has obtained a 26% stake in the EV battery maker Gotion High-Tech to support the future electrification of the group. The total investment of the above two projects is estimated to be about €2 billion.
The plant, which has an estimated investment of US$3.06 billion (20 billion yuan) from both Volkswagen and JAC Motors, will be finished by the end of 2022, and its first vehicle will roll off the assembly line in 2023.
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Ford Announces Shutdown of Plants in Brazil

Fabio Ferraresi Ford announced on Jan. 11 plans to shut down all car manufacturing operations in Brazil. Ford produced cars in Camaçari-BA, Taubaté-SP, and off-road vehicles (Troller) in Horizonte-CE.
The company will keep selling vehicles, especially the Ford Ranger, produced in Argentina and other products from other locations, such as the Transit, Bronco and Escape. Because of this action, Ford Expects an impact of US$ 4.1 billion in non-recurring expenses and a US$ 2.5 billion cash impact.
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GM Resumes $2 Billion Investment Program in Brazil
After freezing all investment last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, GM is now resuming its investment program of 10 billion of Brazilian Reais, equivalent to US$ 2 billion. The program funds new vehicles, infotainment systems, as well as modernization of the plants in Sao Paulo state.
PSR Analysis: GM has kept and amplified their market leadership position in Brazil. In 2020, they moved into second place. Their continuous investment on new products and productivity has been recognized…
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Prototypes of 100% Brazilian e-Truck Tested at Agrale
Agrale plans to soon start production of electric trucks with the FNM brand, a Brazilian OEM that operated from 1939 to 1979. These trucks will target urban distribution and will be produced at Unit 2 of Agrale, in Caxias do Sul-RS. The Trucks use the base of trucks Agrale completed with an electric propulsion system.
Source: Agrale Read The Article Read The Article
PSR Analysis: It is hard to say how many Electric Trucks will be sold under the FNM Brand…
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DATAPOINT: NA Dumpers/Tenders, 2020 Production, 1,559 Units
The 1,559 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Dumpers/Tenders to be produced in the U.S. in 2020.
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: With 62.5% of total units produced, Country Home Products leads in production of Dumpers/Tenders in North America. In second position…