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2023-01-20

India Bets on Green Hydrogen

INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar

The electric vehicle market in India is mostly dominated by lithium-ion battery technology, which powers two-, three- and four-wheeler vehicles. But this situation comes with its own set of challenges.

For instance, each battery chemistry has a different energy density, peak power output and charging time. Hence, the industry is working on alternative green solutions, and the government of India is aggressively working on hydrogen as a fuel option.

In terms of refueling time, hydrogen has a definitive advantage over batteries. It takes just a couple of minutes for a hydrogen vehicle to be refueled, irrespective of size, compared to the hours it takes to recharge an electric vehicle.

The union cabinet approved US$ 2.4 trillion (Rs 19,744 cr) for National Green Hydrogen Mission. The mission has four components aimed at enhancing domestic production of green hydrogen and promoting the manufacturing of electrolysers — a key constituent for making green hydrogen. The initial target is to produce 5 million tons of green hydrogen annually.

Source: Business Standard    Read The Article

Along with the government, other industry stakeholders are taking significant steps to develop hydrogen fuel. Ashok Leyland (one of the largest CV makers) is working with Reliance industries on the development and supply chain of hydrogen-powered engines.

Ashok Leyland plans to install fuel-cell engines in an existing fleet of 45,000 trucks that RIL has hired to transport refined products and other marketing goods as a first stage in the strategy. Also, Adani (diversified business portfolio) and TotalEnergies (French energy and petroleum company) have entered into a partnership to jointly create the world’s largest green hydrogen ecosystem.

The potential of the country towards the production of hydrogen is attractive to many companies. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is looking to source green hydrogen from India as well as Australia and Latin America. 

“India is an amazing location with huge potential for the production of (green) hydrogen at a very exciting cost,” says Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft at Airbus.

In the 16th edition of the motor show Auto Expo Toyota, MG motors, Tata motors, Hyundai, and VECV,  showcased their hydrogen-powered vehicles across several segments. It’s evident that OEMs are seriously exploring the option of Hydrogen powered vehicles.   PSR

Aditya Kondejkar is Research Analyst – South Asia Operations for Power Systems Research

2023-09-16

Bus Sector Bounces Back: EVs Fuel Post-Covid Growth

Aditya Kondejkar

OEMs increasing their focus on the Bus sector to drive growth in the post-Covid period.

Ashok Leyland. One of India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, Ashok Leyland has announced plans to invest ₹1,000 crore in setting up an integrated commercial vehicle (CV) and electric bus (e-bus) manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh. This plant is expected to have a planned production capacity of 2,500 buses annually, with the potential for expansion to 5,000 buses per year.

This significant investment is a strategic move for the company and carries several implications and opportunities. This critical analysis examines the key aspects of this investment decision.

“Contingent on market adoption and demand of alternative fuel vehicles in the state, Ashok Leyland intends to invest up to ₹1,000 crore in this new facility over the next few years,” says Shenu Agarwal, Ashok Leyland MD & CEO.

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2020-10-28

Tractor Companies Boost Output as September Sales Surge 80%

For 18 months, tractor factories were working on a single or 1.5 shift basis at best because of demand slowdown. With numbers picking up, factories now are moving to two or three shifts to hit 100% capacity utilization. The capacity is currently 9.5 lakh units on a two shift basis, but we can also go to three shifts if the demand holds up.      Read The Article

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2022-09-28

Festive Demand Expected To Boost Auto Industry

INDIA REPORT 
Aditya Kondejkar

Adequate rainfall across the country along with the start of the long festive season will keep the demand for automobiles positive and help keep the momentum going in this segment. Additionally, normal monsoons in most parts of the country resulting in a decent agricultural harvest kept demand positive. So, automakers are focusing on building up inventory in anticipation of higher demand

The Indian economy is poised to shrug off the modest tapering of growth in Q1 2022, and aggregate demand is firm and set to expand as the festival season sets in. Hatchback cars and affordable, non-electric motorcycles and scooters are set to register bumper sales in the coming months as India gets ready to celebrate its first ‘normal’ festive season after a gap of two years. Above-normal rains, positive consumer sentiment and a generally optimistic mood are also expected to boost sales of these entry-level vehicles.

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2020-12-21

Kia Motors Targets Growth in Rural Markets

Aditya Kondejkar

Kia Motors is expanding its network and targets to reach 300 touchpoints by the end of the year. Further, the company will now focus on expansion in tier-IV and upcountry markets, which will further penetrate the Indian market.

The company is identifying the nerves of Indian customers. It has rightly understood that one of the critical factors in purchasing a car is consumers’ proximity to the brand. Hence, even before the first product (Seltos) launch in the market, it had a wide-spread network in 160 cities with 265 touchpoints.

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2023-09-21

Zepp Gets Financial Boost To Build State-of-the-Art Fuel Cell Systems Factory

Dutch company Zepp.Solutions, one of Europe’s leading hydrogen fuel cell system suppliers, has secured €1.98 million ($2.16 million) grant funding from the European Just Transition Fund (JTF) to develop a cutting-edge fuel cell systems factory in the Netherlands.

Zepp’s goal is to speed up the energy transition and foster reliance in the labor market with support from the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Climate and Social Affairs and Employment, and the municipalities in the Dutch Greater Rijnmond area.

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2023-04-18

Beiqi Foton Motors and Cummins Set Joint Investment

CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao
Jack Hao

Beijing Foton Motors and Cummins said they will further strengthen their strategic cooperation in the Southeast Asian region and sign a joint investment agreement with the Foton Cummins Thailand engine factory to provide powertrains for the Foton Zhengda vehicle base and Southeast Asian business.

This signing would mark a further strategic cooperation between Foton Motors and Cummins, targeting a wider range of regional markets and providing more diversified power solutions to global customers.

As a global emerging economy, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has become one of the regions with the greatest development potential in the world. In recent years, Foton Motors has had significant business expansion in Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Their market share has gradually increased in trucks, buses, and other specialized vehicles, and they have built their reputation in the local market.

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2022-08-20

Hino Motors’ Engine Fraud Covers 560,000 vehicles

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Hino Motors has announced that the falsification of diesel engine emission values, which was previously announced in March, had been taking place since at least 2003 or earlier. The company had previously stated that the fraud began in the fall of 2016. In 2016, the company also revealed that it had falsely reported to the MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism) in response to its request for a fact-finding survey on exhaust gas and fuel efficiency tests.

Source: The Nikkei

PSR Analysis: Although I do not wish to make such negativity a theme, I cannot overlook this issue. The impact on the industry of the fraud at Hino, which has the top share of the medium- and heavy-duty truck sector in Japan, is significant. Isuzu has suspended shipments of four bus models that use Hino engines. Not limited to the automotive field, Tadano cranes, Kobelco hydraulic excavators, Hitachi Construction Machinery wheel loaders, and Kato rough terrain cranes have also been forced to suspend shipments after the problem came to light.

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