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India EV Market Provides Opportunities and Challenges
INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar EDITOR’S NOTE: The 5th Annual TWF (Two Wheeler Forum) took place on Feb. 21 and 22, 2024, at the India International Convention & Expo Centre in Dwarka, New Delhi. Hosted in partnership with Trak N Tell, the event spotlighted aspects of the Indian two-wheeler and three-wheeler industry, spanning both electric and internal combustion engines.
The landscape of electric vehicles (EVs) in India is undergoing a transformative shift, with the recent 2 wheeler, 3 wheeler, and EV show held in Delhi showcasing the industry’s dynamic evolution. Despite constituting less than 1% of total vehicle sales, the electric vehicle sector holds immense potential, and is projected to grow to over 5% in the years to come. Currently, the Indian roads host over 5 lakh electric 2 wheelers and a modest number of electric cars. However, the market’s growth trajectory remains subject to fluctuations, predominantly influenced by governmental incentives.
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Electrification of China Construction Machinery Industry Accelerates
CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao The electrification of the construction machinery industry in China continues to accelerate. For example, CATAL and Longgong have signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Ningde, Fujian, a move that follows the January cooperation agreement between CATAL and Lingong Heavy Machinery. According to the agreement, both parties will expand cooperation in the development and production of construction machinery, the development of power batteries for construction machinery, and jointly research and develop adaptive products and market promotion to jointly explore the new energy construction machinery market.
More and more construction machinery companies are turning their attention to the electrification market. Domestic and foreign engineering machinery companies such as XCMG, Sany, Zoomlion, and Carter have developed and launched electric products such as loaders, excavators, and mixer trucks.
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South Korea Plans World’s Largest Semiconductor Manufacturing Base
SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The South Korean government announced a plan for a semiconductor industrial park in which Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will invest a total of 622 trillion won (approx. $470 Billion). With Japan and Taiwan aggressively investing in the semiconductor industry, the government aims to compete with them by establishing the world’s largest base and stabilizing the supply of semiconductors to Korea.
According to the plan announced by the government, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to invest 500 trillion won and 122 trillion won, respectively, by 2047. In addition to the existing 21 factories, 13 new semiconductor factories and 3 research facilities will be built. The semiconductor industrial park, which stretches from Pyeongtaek to Yongming, is expected to become the world’s largest manufacturing base with a monthly production capacity of 7.7 million wafers by 2030.
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Car OEMs Announce US$ 14.3 Billion Investment in Brazil
BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA REPORT
Fabio Ferraresi In the past three months, the aggregate investments announced by automotive manufacturers in Brazil have reached a total of US$ 14.3 billion. The largest individual investment came from Stellantis, committing US$ 6 billion to the country between 2025 and 2030, marking a record sum among major vehicle manufacturers operating within the nation. A significant portion of this investment will be directed towards the development of flex-hybrid models.
This investment influx began in December, with Renault earmarking US$ 500 million for the production of a new SUV in Paraná, featuring engine variants that blend ethanol, gasoline, and electricity. In January this year, General Motors (GM) unveiled investments totaling US$ 1.4 billion aimed at product rejuvenation.
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Van Hool Making Major Changes
Emiliano Marzoli At a special works council recently, bus manufacturer Van Hool announced over 1,100 jobs will be lost at the company between now and 2027. The redundancies and other job losses are part of the ‘Van Hool Recovery Plan’ the company is introducing to get the business back on track.
The largest number of job losses – about 830 – are planned for this year. Bus production is now being moved to Macedonia, while trailers, industrial vehicles, R&D will remain in Flanders.
Source: VRT News. Read The Article Read This Article, Too
PSR Analysis: Van Hool has struggled recently under the pressure of competition from Chinese manufacturers. Even in the Flanders, home of Van Hool, Chinese bus manufacturer BYD was able to win a public tender for the supply of 300 electric urban busses. The biggest advantage of Chinese companies is the know how and attractive price they can offer on battery powered busses. In recent time, Van Hool has invested heavily in Fuel cells busses, but this move has not pay off.
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Van Hool To End City Bus Production in Belgium
GLOBAL REPORT
Chris Fisher Van Hool has announced its exit from the City Bus business and focus on Hydrogen fuel cell coaches which appears to have been a serious miscalculation. As the market transitions away from internal combustion engine buses toward battery electric buses, Van Hool has been left behind.
Van Hool recently lost a bid for 300 electric city buses to BYD which assembles their buses in Hungary at a lower cost than Van Hool could manufacture these in Belgium. It was reported that the BYD bid was approximately 20% less than the Van Hool bid. This along with other issues will result in Van Hool ending most if not all of their bus and coach operations in Belgium and transfer the bus and coach making activities to their assembly plant in Macedonia.
However, Van Hool will need a significant cash infusion in a short period of time to cover the cost of their existing debt and the coming redundancy payments in order to stave off insolvency.
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Europe May Slap Retroactive Tariffs on Chinese EVs
Guy Youngs After months of investigation, the European Commission says it has found evidence that China has been “unfairly” subsidizing the EVs it exports to Europe. Possible “remedies” on the table include retroactive tariffs on Chinese EVs.
Source: Electrek: …
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2024 Trencher Production: 4,800 Units
Trenchers, typically wheeled or chain, are used in a variety of applications; these machines are quite diversified for various markets having a wide range of clients. Trenchers are more precise at digging as opposed to excavators that are popular machinery for construction needs.
This product information comes from industry…
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CATL Expands Battery Market Share Lead in 2023
ALTERNATIVE POWER REPORT
Guy Youngs CleanTechnica’s 2023 provisional report shows a 40% growth in demand for lithium-ion batteries in the automotive sector, reaching 712 GWh. CATL and BYD lead the market, with CATL holding a 34% share due to its successful partnerships and innovative battery technologies. BYD moved into second place with 16% share, up from 14% in 2022, replacing LG, which slid to third place with a 15% share. It had 17% in 2022. BYD grew 59% YoY.
CATL produced 243,000 units in 2023, up from 164,000 units in 2022. BYD produced 116,000 units in 2023, an increase from 73,000 in 2022.
LG lost share in 2023 due to the lack of new orders, GM’s troubled ramp-up of its new EVs, the end of life of some important volume models, and also the fact that volume from some clients, like Mercedes or Ford, is being diverted to the competition.
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