European EV Buses Under Pressure

Emiliano Marzoli
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.  

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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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2020, A Year to Forget for MHV; 2021 Is Looking Better

Chris Fisher
Chris Fisher

SUMMARY: In this article we provide a global overview on a regional basis of the medium and heavy commercial vehicle market (GVWR > 6 MT’s) along with current trends and OEM happenings in North America.

NORTH AMERICA. MHCV production in North America is expected to decline by 35% in 2020 compared to 2019.  However, orders for class 8 trucks improved significantly in Q4 2020 as large fleets placed their orders for a 2021 build.  This appears to signal an improvement in demand for 2021 as the market aligns itself with the expected freight level moving forward.  The consumer segment was strong during the last half of the year and the industrial segment is now expected to improve, as well. 

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NA Economic Outlook: Slower H1 2021, But Much Stronger H2 2021 Expected

Yosyf Sheremeta
Yosyf Sheremeta

SUMMARY.  In our previous forecasts, we have discussed some hope for a V-shaped recovery, it did not materialize.  Our conclusion was based on several factors, such as the current economic cycle, overall strength of the economy, fiscal policy, political landscape in the US and globally, etc. After managing through the early stages of the pandemic in H1 2020, we saw good trends in H2 2020 and we had reasons to be optimistic for a quick recovery.

However, the recovery took a slight pause during the last few months.  Unemployment continued to increase, and regional lockdowns prevented the necessary demand for a significant year-end growth.  Now that the elections are over, we’ll have yet to see what the new administration will be able to achieve during the next two years.  Specifically, if the long awaited infrastructure reform can be passed.  However, fiscal policy with near zero interest rates, which government has promised to keep in place for the near future, will provide a good platform for the economic recovery and allow us to look optimistically into 2021-2022.

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Rolls Royce Power Systems Posts Record Year in 2022

EUROPEAN REPORT 
Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

Rolls Royce Holdings’ 2022 Annual Report shows significant performance improvement compared to 2021. Its four business units posted revenue of £12.691 m (£10.947 m in 2021), gross profit of £2.477 m (£1.996 m in 2021) and operating profit of £652 m (£441 m in 2021). Civil aerospace business unit made 49% of the revenue, Defense 29%, and Power Systems 26%.

The Power Systems business unit is the home for the mtu brand developing and manufacturing power systems and solutions for commercial marine, industrial, defense and yachts as well as power generation. Headquartered in Germany, it closed the year with a record revenue of £3.347 m, a gain of 23 % comparing to the prior year. Orders for 2022 were £4.3 billion, 29% higher than the orders placed in 2021.  

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HanseYachts Group Reports ‘Exceptional Year’

Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

German boat manufacturer HanseYachts AG has announced preliminary financial results for 2020-2021 that it has described as “exceptional for the company in all respects.”

The group, established in 1990, manufactures sailing, motor yachts and luxury sailing, and motor catamarans under the brands Hanse, Dehler, Moody, Privilege, Fjord and Sealine. Boats are produced in Germany and France, and are equipped with Volvo, Yanmar and Mercury engines.

Despite the production problems caused by delays in parts supply, the group achieved record results in 2020/2021, with the order book counting more than 1,000 boats. Previously, the group’s best year was 2007/2008 when 940 boats were ordered. The revenue this year is expected to be more than € 230 million. 

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Five Year Plan Encourages Development of LNG Trucks and Ships

CHINA REPORT

Jack Hao
Jack Hao

“By 2025, the national gas storage capacity of intensive layout will reach 55 billion ~ 60 billion cubic meters, accounting for about 13% of natural gas consumption. Build a green and low-carbon transportation system, optimize and adjust the transportation structure, vigorously develop multi-modal transport, promote the medium and long-distance transportation of bulk goods “from rail to water”, encourage the use of clean fuels such as LNG in the field of heavy-duty trucks and ships, and strengthen the guarantee of clean energy supply in the transportation industry. It is emphasized that the LNG storage and transportation system in Bohai Rim region, Yangtze River Delta region and Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Bay area should be continuously improved, and the core is the construction of LNG terminal.”

Source:  NDRC       Read The Article

PSR Analysis. China’s LNG import volume in 2022 is expected to surpass Japan and become the world’s largest LNG importer. At the same time, China has built 22 LNG terminals. There are more than 200 LNG manufacturers in China, with an annual capacity of about 30 million tons.

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Robotic Lawn Mower Industry Expected To Reach $1.3 Billion in 2020

There’s nothing like the look and smell of freshly cut grass, but for an increasing number, mowing the lawn as become an unpleasant experience and a waste of time. Some home owners spend hours every week doing the work while others are investing in a robot lawn mower to do the work.

robotic lawn mower is an autonomous robot used to cut lawn grass. A typical robotic lawn mower (in particular earlier generation models) requires the user to set up a border wire around the lawn that defines the area to be mowed. The robot uses this wire to locate the boundary of the area to be trimmed and in some cases to locate a recharging dock. Robotic mowers are capable of maintaining up to 30,000 m2 (320,000 sq ft) of grass.

Think of robot lawn mowers as Roombas, but for lawns.

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20-Year Changes in Top Construction OEM Hierarchy

A new animated chart shows the dramatic changes in the evolving hierarchy of the biggest construction equipment manufacturers over 20 years. The chart draws on data from International Construction’s Yellow Table, which tracks the top 50 construction OEMs across the world. The data stretches back to 2003, and up until the latest version in 2022.

Source: International Construction: Read The Article

PSR Analysis: This animated chart is especially interesting in that it allows you to track the growth of up to half a dozen big Chinese OEMs who have grown among the top companies.    PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

Fastest NA Economic Growth Expected Since 1980s

Read the complete report in April PowerTALK™ News.

Yosyf Sheremeta
Yosyf Sheremeta

(April 1, 2021)–After the GDP declined 3.5% last year, the worst performance in almost 75 years, the US economy is set for a strong comeback.  In fact, we could see GDP growth exceeding 6% this year.

There are many reasons to be optimistic about 2021.  Strong readings of macro-economic factors combined with the economic cycle reset backed by the government initiatives and policies support our estimates for the current year and beyond. 

Our positive outlook is based on the reviews of the key economic indicators, including GDP, unemployment, and inflation.   In our previous forecasts, we discussed recovery trends for the post-pandemic period, stating a return of demand for most markets in 2021, especially during H2 2021.  

Based on our analysis of the expected growth trend and the economic reviews in major publications, we think US growth can surpass the growth level from 1984 – the highest one since 1950s. 

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Product Definitions Guide

Product Descriptions by Segment and Application Power Systems Research tracks some 250 products in 13 major industrial segments. This Guide defines each product that PSR lists in its proprietary databases. Segment: Agriculture Application: 2-Wheel Tractors 2-Wheel Tractors Application: Ag Tractors 2-Wheel Drive Tractors 4WD Articulated Ag Tractors MFWD Tractors (Mechanical Front Wheel Drive) Tracked Ag