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PowerTALK™ News, August 2021
Download PDFTaiwan is a one of the world’s leading producers of digital chips for everything from commercial vehicles and autos to Lawn & Garden and other consumer products. Read Erik Martin’s report on Taiwan’s chip production in the August issue of PowerTALK™ News.
Here are more articles in this issue:
- Global:
- 20%+ Growth in Truck Production
- Bitcoin Energy Consumption
- DataPoint: U.S. Crawlers
- Europe: Recovery Stresses Supply Chain
- South America:
- Ford Ends Troller Production
- Toyota Suspends Production
- Komatsu Invests in Para Facility
- Japan: Honda Staff Seek Retirement
- South Korea: Hyundai, LG Chem Build Batteries
- Southeast Asia: COVID Disrupts Supply Network
- India: Scrappage Policy Is Launched
- Russia:
- Ag Equipment Sales Jump
- KAMAZ Builds Parts for Aurus Cars
- Czech Republic Builds Electric SUV
- Global:
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Czech Republic Develops Electric UAZ Hunter SUV for 3.5 million Rubles
Maxim Sakov The regular powertrain in the SUV has been replaced by an AC motor, and inside the car they’ve installed digital panel.
The Czech start-up MW Motor has created an electric car based on the UAZ Hunter. Today, the company has begun taking orders for the new vehicle. According to “Tesla Magazine”, prices for “green SUV” start from €39,900. Cars are available with left or right steering wheel. Also, Czechs are offering test-drive of SUV in Dobrzahny.
The regular engine has been replaced by an AC motor. SUV retains a 5-speed manual transmission and AWD. The motor output is 160hp. The battery gives from 56 to 90 kWt/hr.
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KAMAZ Has Started Making Parts for Aurus Cars
KAMAZ will become a supplier of key parts for luxury Aurus cars. According to the OEM’s press-service, the company has started production of cylinder blocks, block heads and base plates of NAMI-4123 engines used in Aurus models.
At the moment, however, we are talking about the development of technological processes, so the parts are produced using experimental methods. Serial Aurus cars now uses imported blocks and heads. As soon as KAMAZ ensures high quality of parts, they will be substituted for imported parts.
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PM Launches Vehicle Scrappage Policy
Aditya Kondejkar Vehicles will not just be scrapped by their age, but also if they are found to be unfit in automated testing. The vehicle scrappage policy will bring in investments of around INR 10,000 crore to set up 450-500 Automated Testing Stations (ATS) and 60-70 Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSF) across the country.
PSR Analysis: Under the Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization program (VVMP), the government plans to set up between 450-500 automated vehicle fitness testing stations across India on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis involving private firms and state governments. A total of 60-70 vehicle scrapping centers will also be built; these stations will be situated no further than 150-200 kilometers away from any location in India. A total of seven agencies – including Tata Motors – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government today for this project. Tata Motors’ vehicle scrapping center will be set up in Gujarat, will scrap both passenger and commercial vehicles and will have the capacity to recycle up to 36,000 vehicles a year.
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COVID-19 Variant Disrupts Supply Chain
Akihiro Komuro In Southeast Asia, where the delta variant of the COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, business activities are becoming stagnant. In response to government regulations and the rapid increase in the number of infected people, major Japanese companies such as Toyota and Panasonic have suspended production at some of their plants. In addition to the decline in local sales, the disruption of the supply chain has also affected production in Japan.
Toyota has sequentially shut down all three of its plants in Thailand since July 20. The company has not yet decided when to resume operations because it has been unable to procure parts due to an outbreak of infection at one of its customers’ plants. Honda also shut down one of its plants in Thailand from August 3 to 5.
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Honda Staff Seek Early Retirement Amid EV Shift
Over 2,000 employees at Honda Motor have applied for early retirement, as the Japanese automaker restructures its workforce to gear up to make more electric vehicles.
Honda’s move is the latest in the trend among automakers to move away from the production and sales of internal combustion engines. Those employees account for around 5% of Honda’s full-time staff in Japan. Although Honda had not set a target, the number of applications has far exceeded its initial estimate of 1,000.
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Understanding the Global Chip Shortage
Erik Martin Semiconductors help power everything from your phone to your car. Here’s what to know about the major supply chain problem.
There are chips in nearly everything electric you own, from your phone to your computer to your car. There are even chips in items you wouldn’t expect, such as your washing machine, electric toothbrush, and refrigerator. But these tiny parts that power so much of our lives are now in critically short supply.
“Right now we have a global supply chain in crisis,” says Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. “We’ve just never ever seen anything of this magnitude impact us before.”
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Komatsu Invests in Production and Service Center in Pará
Fabio Ferraresi Since 2020 Komatsu has been investing in Parauapebas, in the state of Pará in Northern Brazil, for a new facility that will provide maintenance for equipment and produce new equipment. The General Manager of the Mining Division for South America, Charles Medeiros says the unit will produce products for all regions in Brazil and for export.
Source: Automotive Business Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Pará is an important region for mining where companies like Vale are located and demand…
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Toyota Suspends Production in Sorocaba, Brazil
Toyota is one of the OEMs least affected by the semiconductor crisis, but it now says production will be suspended for 10 days at its Sorocaba plant. The announcement does not refer specifically to semiconductors and other components and materials may be affecting the production capacity.
Source: Valor Read The Article
PSR Analysis: The shortage of materials and price escalation is affecting all OEMs and suppliers in the automotive supply chain, from basic steel grades to semiconductors. Price…
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Ford Ends Production of Troller
Even though Ford has announced the end of production of the off-road Troller T4 in Horizonte, Ceará, Brazil, by September 2021, the secretary of industrial development of Ceará says that while Ford is working to sell the productive unit, it wants to keep the brand and the product design as its property. Government of the state is trying to change Ford executives mind about the decision.
Source: Autoespoerte / O Globo Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Troller T4 holds an important share of the sports…
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