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Vinfast Begins Taking Orders for EVs
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 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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New System To Be Established for Rating of Ship Fuel Efficiency
Akihiro Komuro A new international system for rating the fuel efficiency of ocean-going vessels will be established under Japanese leadership, it has been announced. A draft amendment to the relevant treaty will be adopted at an international conference in June, and the system is expected to be introduced in 2023.
The fuel efficiency rating system will be applied to large ocean-going vessels such as container ships, oil tankers, and cruise ships. Once a year, ship owners and operators will submit fuel efficiency data to the government where the ship is registered and rate it on a five-point scale (A-E). CO2 emissions are converted from the distance traveled, the weight of the ship, and the amount of fuel consumed and compared. The lowest E, or three consecutive D’s, will require the owner to submit an improvement plan to the government where the ship is registered. They are required to add devices to improve fuel efficiency or reduce the speed at which they sail. If the ship cannot be improved, it will not be allowed to sail.
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Parched Taiwan Prays for Rain as Sun Moon Lake Hit by Drought
Erik Martin TAIWAN — Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake is so low that parts of it have dried and turned to grass. Jetties that normally float are sprawled awkwardly on dry land, and tour boats are crowded at the tail ends of pontoons still in the water.
Usually one of the island’s most famous tourist destinations, the lake has recently become a star of a different kind. Following the worst drought in 56 years, it is now famous for all the wrong reasons. These days, Instagram influencers photograph themselves posing in a dust-colored, dinghy half-buried in a cracked and cratered lakebed…
But away from the quirky headlines, the situation is dire. Other reservoirs across central and southern Taiwan are effectively empty, down to 5% or less.
Taiwan has had drought before, but observers are hoping the severity of this one – which has lasted 18 months and threatens Taiwan’s economic lifeblood of semiconductor production – is enough to prompt real action on climate change.
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Müller Launches Rigid Off-Highway Truck MDT430 in Brazil
Fabio Ferraresi The Brazilian group that acquired Randon Veículos, the division of Randon group that produced OH Trucks and Construction Equipment, at the end of 2020 launched the first model under the Müller brand. It has a 350 HP Turbo Intercooler produced by Scania and an Allisson Automatic Transmission.
Source: M&T Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Whether lucky or visionary, Müller is well positioned to produce positive results in coming years. While mining activity in…
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GM Announces LCV To Be Produced in Brazil
This pickup truck will be produced at the São Caetano plant using the GEM platform, the leader in the compact car segment with Chevrolet Onyx. This vehicle will be smaller than the GM S-10, produced in São José dos Campos, Brazil, and bigger than the old Montana. It should compete with Fiat Toro, leader in sales ant he Pick-up segment.
Source: M&T Read The Article
PSR Analysis: GM hopes to follow the success history of Stellantis in Brazil with a smaller, yet not compact pick-up. The successful…
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Continental Wins First Order for CV High-Performance Computer
Frankfurt, Germany–For the first time, Continental has won an order to supply the commercial vehicle sector with telematics units that include high-performance computers. This means that the technology company now also offers a solution that can master the increasing requirements for connectivity, complexity and functional scope in trucks.
Continental will use its telematics know-how – already proven in the passenger car sector – to complete this order from Volkswagen. Last year, Continental was…
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European EV Buses Under Pressure
Emiliano Marzoli After three years, Alstom is halting their EV bus production. By the end of 2021, the production lines will be stopped, and unless a buyer will take over, most of the operations will be shut down. Twenty employees will remain active to assure maintenance for the existing vehicles in operations with RATP.
Just two years ago, Alstom was one of the winners of a contract to supply electric buses to the French operator. However, this was not enough to maintain profitability.
PSR Analysis: We believe that electric buses have a great future, particularly in Europe. According to our database CV Link™, alternative drive buses, including Hybrid, Fuel Cells and Battery Electric, will grow at a 22% CAGR between 2020 and 2030.
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Powersports Recreational Equipment Update
EDITOR’S NOTE. Power Systems Research tracks the global trends powersports recreational equipment, especially the electrification of these units. This is one of a series of reports on these trends.
Michael Aistrup The first LiveWire branded motorcycle is scheduled to launch on July…
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Forecast: Component Shortages and Supply Chain Disruptions
Chris Fisher Since the latter part of last year, North American heavy commercial truck orders have been extremely strong as freight rates remain very high. Both contract rates and spot rates are in record territory, primarily driven by consumer spending, a strong housing market and an improving manufacturing sector.
The anticipation of the stimulus spending and increasing vaccination rates for Covid-19 are also driving optimism in the economy. However, rising inflation could derail the improving economy.
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