Production | Power Systems Research

2025-03-24

US Trade War Upsets Battery Industry

The battery and energy storage industry is watching intently the pending trade war between the US and its trade partners. Few industry players are willing to talk on the record about the situation – not least because it is a turbulent and unclear time.

But James Greenberger, executive director of the battery association NAATBatt International told BEST that trade tariffs may benefit certain industries in the US. But the lithium battery industry “will not be one of them,” he said.

Categories: Alternative Power, Batteries, Production

Office: United States Offices

Renault Offers Solution for Battery Fires

Guy Youngs

Renault has devised a device to speed up the extinguishing of a burning electric car battery. This “Fireman Access” point is now licensed free of charge to the entire automotive industry.

A fire can be brought under control in time comparable to that of a combustion-powered vehicle, thanks to a simple little device.

Categories: Alternative Power, Batteries, Production

Office: United States Offices

2025-03-20

Brazil Vehicle Production Best Since 2021

Fabio Ferraresi

Brazil’s vehicle production in the first two months of 2025 reached 393,000 units, the highest since early 2021, marking a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024. February demonstrated a significant 14.6% rise from the previous year and a 24% increase from January.

In the first bimester, car and light commercial vehicle production were at 289,800 units, up 12.5%, while Truck production was 20,000 units, up 10.5% and Bus chassis production was 4,000 units, up 11%.

Categories: Central/South America, Commercial Vehicles, Production, South America/Brazil

Office: Brazil Office

Kubota Plans Tractor Plant in India, Doubling Production

Akihiro Komuro

Kubota plans to build a tractor factory in India, open that will be operational by 2030. The investment is expected to be in the tens of billions of yen. The annual production volume will be increased to approximately 240,000 units, double the current volume.

India accounts for about half of the global tractor market in terms of volume, but Kubota’s market share in the country is only about 25%. The company aims to increase sales by developing new products in cooperation with the local manufacturer it has acquired.

Currently, it produces about 120,000 units a year at three factories, including Escorts, which it acquired in April 2022 for about $953,020,000 USD (140 billion yen). Its production capacity is 170,000 to 180,000 units, but it is expected to fall short of that in the next five years.

Categories: Agricultural, Indian Subcontinent, Japan, Production

Office: Japan Office

Kia To Offer Corporate Clients Custom EVs

Akihiro Komuro

Kia is launching a new range of EVs that can be easily modified to meet different interior and design needs and will begin selling a mid-size van in Korea in July. The company is currently in talks with about 100 companies in the transportation and logistics industry. Although global EV sales are currently sluggish, Kia hopes to develop a new revenue stream by promoting the fact that the specifications of these vehicles can be changed to suit the needs of different industries.

“We have opened up a new paradigm with our customized EVs.” The CEO spoke with great enthusiasm at Kia’s EV Day event in Spain. The company unveiled the first production model of the “PV5,” a mid-size van that is the first in a series of independently developed EVs called “Platform Beyond Vehicle” (PBV).

Categories: EV, Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs, Production, South Korea

Office: Japan Office

Baidu, CATL Plan Ecosystem for Unmanned Driving

Jack Hao

Baidu and CATL say they will collaborate on unmanned driving and digital intelligence to promote unmanned driving services and industrial AI applications.

The cooperation is expected to leverage the advantages of both companies, including CATL’s battery, swapping, and skateboard chassis technologies for unmanned vehicle development, and to explore competitive products and business models to enhance mobility services.

Baidu will support CATL’s digitalization with its full-stack AI capabilities, spanning chips, platforms, and applications, injecting new energy into the green transition and jointly building a smart energy future.

Source: CATL Read The Article

Categories: Global, Greater China, Industrial, Partnerships, Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs, Production

Office: China Office

2025-03-16

2025 NA Trenchers Production

Carol Turner

4,200 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Trenchers expected to be produced in the United States in 2025.

A Portable/Walk-Behind Trencher is used to dig trenches, especially for laying pipes or cables, for installing drainage, or in preparation for trench warfare. Trenchers range in size from walk-behind models, to attachments for a skid loader or tractor, to very heavy tracked heavy equipment.

Riding Trenchers are used to dig trenches, especially for laying pipes or cables, for installing drainage, or in preparation for trench warfare.

This product 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. PSR

By Carol Turner, Senior Analyst, Global Operations

Categories: Construction, Datapoint Reports, Industrial, North America, Production

Office: United States Offices

2025-03-13

Alternative Power Report, March 2025

Guy Youngs

Alternative Power Report – Mar 2025 Download

This month, Alternative Power Report Editor Guy Youngs brings readers up to date on Elon Musk and Tesla activities around the world. Sales are down, stock price is down, and consumer anger is up. Read about it in the March issue of the Alternative Power Report produced by Power Systems Research. The March report also contains information on EV battery development and the tariff wars launched by U.S. President Donald Trump. PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

Categories: Alternative Power Reports, Batteries, Economics, Electrification, Global, Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs, PowerTALK, Production

Office: United States Offices

2025-02-24

Korean Battery Makers See Revenue Decline

Akihiro Komuro

The financial results for the year ending December 2024 of the three major Korean battery manufacturers all showed a decrease in sales compared to the previous year due to the sluggish sales of EVs worldwide. Unable to recoup the amount of upfront investment they had made in anticipation of the increasing shift to EVs, the companies are reviewing their plans for increased production.

SK ON has announced that it will delay the startup of its new U.S. plant, which was planned for 2025. LG Energy Solution, the largest company in South Korea, also reported a decline in both revenue and profit. Sales fell 24% and operating profit fell 73%. This is the first time since the company became an independent battery-focused subsidiary of the LG Group in 2020 that it has seen a decline in both sales and profits. Samsung SDI also saw a 23% drop in sales and a 76% drop in operating profit.

Categories: Batteries, Production, South Korea

Office: Japan Office

Nissan Ditches Honda, Eyes Foxconn Alliance

Guy Youngs

After unsuccessful negotiations with Honda, Nissan has ended discussions about a merger and is now searching for a new partner, reports “Nikkei.” Among the potential candidates is the Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn.

Nissan abandoned plans for a $60 billion merger with Honda, which could have made it the third-largest car manufacturer in the world. The primary issue reportedly was disagreements over the terms of the merger.

Categories: Alternative Power, Passenger Cars, Minivans, and SUVs, Production

Office: United States Offices

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