U.S. Powersports Industry Grows in 2021

News: North America

2022-12-14

U.S. Powersports Industry Grows in 2021

Michael Aistrup
Michael Aistrup

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has released economic data for 2021 showing the outdoor recreation industry’s impact on the U.S. economy. Key highlights from the 2021 data on the U.S. outdoor recreation economy include: 1. $862 billion in economic output; 2. 1.9% of GDP, and 3. 4.5 million jobs.

Trips and travel have come back, record sales in many outdoor segments, manufacturing increasing, as well as the drive to continue to recreate for quality of life has allowed the outdoor industry to bounce back from the effects of COVID-19.

“The continued strength of the outdoor economy is no surprise to the marine industry, where we continue to see incredible growth with new and younger customers taking to our brands each year,” said Chris Drees, President of Mercury Marine, the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines.

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Tesla Refinery Project Advances in Texas

Tesla is currently working on a lithium refinery project that would be coming to Corpus Christi, Texas, and it sounds like the automaker is in the final stretch of its negotiations with the authorities.

In September, we learned that Tesla has a plan to build a lithium refining facility on the Gulf Coast of Texas. At the time, all we knew was that Tesla was planning on moving fast with hope to start building in Q4 2022.

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2022-11-17

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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2022-11-16

Edge Computing: U of MI Solar Car

John Krzesicki speaks with Will Jones, the project manager for the University of Michigan’s Solar Car Team.

Transcript

Hello! My name is John Krzesicki. It’s my pleasure to host the Power Systems living on the edge series. The show is where we have conversations with industry experts on their insights into mobility’s future and impact on cities and industry. As a business development manager with PSR, I can talk with our clients about how they prepare for the future. Our clients and their suppliers are going through a significant paradigm shift as they move from an entirely Internal combustion engine to alternative power. As we all know, today’s designs incorporate technology and software to be more innovative, competitive, and efficient. Our clients are looking for cutting-edge alternative power to power their equipment. Today’s topic is Solar Cars.

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2022-11-15

DATAPOINT: North America Utility Vehicles, 2022 Production: 432,700 Units

432,700 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Utility Vehicles to be produced in North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) in 2022.

Four-wheel off-road Utility Vehicles with side-by-side seating are designed to be used in a variety of recreational, industrial and military applications. When equipped with dumpers, they are commonly used for landscaping, dumping and transporting light materials. Vehicles can be customized with enclosed cabs, tool racks, dumpers and more for use on college campuses, parks, corporate campuses and airports. Suppliers offer a wide variety of gas, electric and diesel utility vehicles.

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.

Exports: Canada, up to 90%; Mexico, up to 85% for NA markets, and US, up to 40% worldwide.

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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck News

NORTH AMERICA REPORT
Chris Fisher
Chris Fisher

During the past few years there has been plenty of talk about battery electric power replacing diesel-powered internal combustion engines in commercial trucks.  At some point this might be true for short and regional haul freight carriers, but what about the long-haul heavy truck segment? 

Currently, the lack of a sufficient charging infrastructure, range anxiety and the extreme weights associated with the batteries are significant deterrents to mass adoption of long-haul battery electric trucks.  However, hydrogen fuel cell trucks for long-haul applications appear to be a viable option in this segment.  Even though fuel cell trucks currently have a greater range and lighter weight than battery electric trucks, they have the same problem as electric trucks: a lack of refueling infrastructure.

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2022-10-21

DataPoint: North America Skid Steer Loaders, 2022 Production, 92,700 Units

A Skid Steer Loader, also known as a skid loader, skid-steer loader, or skid steer, is a small rigid frame, engine-powered machine with lift arms used to attach a wide variety of labor-saving tools or attachments.

The four major types of skid steer loaders are Agricultural, 29%; Rental Fleets,  22%; Construction, 20%, and Landscape, 12%.

92,700 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Skid Steer Loaders to be produced in North America (United States and Canada) in 2022.

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2022-09-28

Vinfast To Export Initial 5,000 EVs To Europe and the U.S.

SOUTHEAST ASIA: VIETNAM REPORT

Vinfast has announced plans to export approximately 5,000 EVs to the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the end of 2022. This is the first time for them to export EVs. The company also plans to start construction of a new EV plant in the U.S. by the end of this year, accelerating its global strategy.

According to the plan, exports to the U.S. and other countries will begin in early November, with delivery to customers starting in December. Vinfast’s CEO revealed that the company has orders for approximately 65,000 EVs worldwide.

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DATAPOINT: NA Crawlers, 2022 Production: 4,100 Units

Crawlers come in one of three versions: Dozers, Loaders, and Excavators. Crawler Dozers are heavy, driver-operated machines used for clearing and grading land. Usually, they have continuous treads and a broad hydraulic blade in front.

A Crawler Loader is a piece of mobile construction equipment used to load materials; it’s used primarily in tough, off-road terrain. It’s similar to a wheel loader, except it has treads instead of wheels.

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