Search Results for: future-electrification

2023-06-19

Indonesia Plans To Become Major Player in Car Industry

SOUTHEAST ASIA: INDONESIA REPORT

Amid the global shift to EVs, Indonesia is vying to become the new leader in this segment.

Indonesia has already surpassed Thailand in passenger car production and has begun full-scale EV production ahead of Thailand. Thailand has begun to defend its position as the auto manufacturing hub of Southeast Asia by offering preferential policies for EVs, including subsidies for both domestic production and sales.

Indonesia’s greatest strength is its abundance of nickel, which is used in car batteries. It is said to have the largest nickel reserves in the world, and investment in this resource is growing rapidly. In April, the Indonesian government announced that it was considering investing in a nickel production venture involving Ford of the United States and that VW of Germany was also considering participation.

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PowerTALK™, July 2023

PSR-Power-Talk_July2023.FDownload

Production is the key word in PowerTALK articles for July. Read about new techniques for battery production, supply chain problems in Japan, production cutbacks in China and new facilities in South America.

IN THIS ISSUE
  • Alternative Power:
    • What Is Future of Alternative Power?
    • BYD Sets JV for EV Batteries
    • Offshore Hydrogen 10X Cost of LNG
    • VW Plans Dry Battery
  • Global:
    • Q2 2023 Economy Positive
    • Outdoor Power Equipment Shifts To Electric
  • DataPoint: North America Mixers
  • Europe:
    • Show Report: Electric Hybrid Marine
    • Ammonia Powered Fuel Cell
  • Brazil/South America:
    • Alternative Power MHVs Decline
    • First VW Truck Built in Argentina
    • BYD Expands Brazil Production
    • Scania Truck Has 900km Range
  • Japan: Semiconductor Shortage Hurts Honda
  • South Korea: Hyundai Cuts China Production
  • China: New VI-B Emissions
  • India: OEMs Target Premium MC Segment

2023-07-27

BYD Expands Production in Brazil

BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA REPORT 
Fabio Ferraresi
Fabio Ferraresi

BYD announced the installation of an industrial complex in Camaçari, Bahia. The largest manufacturer of electric vehicles in the world, the Asian giant will invest, in five years, about US$ 600 Million (R $ 3 Billion) in the installation of three factories at the Bahia complex, generating about 5,000 direct and indirect jobs. In addition to passenger vehicles, electric bus and truck chassis will be made on site, as well as a battery split.

The company will take over Ford’s facilities. The deal, however, has not yet been officially announced. The Camaçari pole is the last factory that still belonged to the North American brand in Brazil. The automaker, which announced the end of its local production in 2021, has already sold its facilities in Taubaté (SP) and São Bernardo do Campo (SP).

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2023-08-20

U.S. Economic Downturn this Year or Next?

Jim Downey

SUMMARY. As we are halfway through 2023, there is more uncertainty with the economy than earlier in the year. The general consensus is there will be a recession coming soon in the United States, and now it is just a matter of whether this will happen later in 2023 or the first of part of 2024.

The latter may be more assumed recently. The stock market has not fallen, and the US economy has not entered a recession this year, 2023. Some of the factors that have prevented this are market investors being enthusiastic over AI (Artificial Intelligence) potential, the Federal Reserve’s pause in interest rate increases, and the slowdown of inflation. So seemingly the pause button has been hit on recession scenarios.

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2023-08-21

PSR Participates in SAE Brazil Mobility Forum

For the fifth consecutive year, Power Systems Research (PSR) will participate in the 20th SAE Mobility Forum in Curitiba-PR. This year’s event will be held Sept. 12and 13 at FIEP (Paraná State Industries Federation) auditorium.

This Forum brings together the most important companies in the Medium Heavy Vehicles and Off Highway Vehicles in Brazil. Originally, the event was called “Diesel Forum,” but with the new technologies of propulsion in the key segments covered by the forum, it changed its name to “Mobility Forum” in 2020. PSR Senior executives in South America are frequent speakers at the event, and support high level discussions on future trends and current challenges. PSR

Source: PSR / SAE Brazil     Read The Article

Firms Develop Hydrogen-Powered Generator

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Komatsu, Hitachi, and Denyo announced the commercialization of a gen-set that uses a mixture of hydrogen and light oil as fuel. It is possible to mix up to 50% hydrogen, which does not emit CO2 when burned, and CO2 emissions can be reduced by 50%.

The first unit will be installed at Komatsu’s Oyama Plant, with full operation scheduled for the end of September. Hitachi will serve as the point of contact for the system, which will be marketed to a wide range of external customers.

The system can mix up to 50% hydrogen with diesel engines that use diesel oil. The power output is 250 kW. Komatsu and Hitachi provided the fuel injection control technology and the function to safely stop the engine in case of abnormal combustion, respectively, and Denyo assembled them into the generator.

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2023-09-05

Brazil Motorcycle Production To Reach 1.5 Million in 2023

In the first seven months of 2023, manufacturers affiliated with Abraciclo assembled 887,000 motorcycles, up 14.3% over the same period in 2022. Registrations totaled 903,200, up 21.4%, including imports and sales from automakers not yet linked to the association, such as India’s Bajaj and Royal Enfield, which began production in Brazil at the end of last year. The entity’s expectations for 2023 are for expansion of 10.4% (1.56 million units) in production and 10.9% (1.51 million motorcycles) in licensing.

Source: Valor      Read The Article

PSR Analysis: In 2011, Brazil produced 2 million units, its best year in the history of the segment. However, this year was the beginning of consecutive annual declines that reduced production to 890,000 motorcycles in 2016. The start of the rebound in 2018 was interrupted in 2020 by the shutdown of factories brought on by the pandemic. The industry finally looked to the future again in 2023 and expects to reach a volume of 2 million motorcycles within five years.   PSR

Fabio Ferraresi is Director-Business Development South America for Power Systems Research

2023-09-15

Hydrogen Fuel Cell MH Commercial Vehicle Update

Chris Fisher
Chris Fisher

With regards to zero-emission medium and heavy vehicles, we have heard during the past few years that battery electric commercial trucks will ultimately replace the diesel-powered internal combustion engine for commercial trucks.  At some point in the future this might be true for short and regional haul freight carriers but what about the long-haul heavy truck segment? 

Currently, the lack of charging infrastructure, range anxiety and the extreme weights associated with the batteries will be a significant deterrent 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 due to a lack of a power infrastructure.

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2023-09-16

Australian Mining — Can It Power All The New EVs?

Australia is already the largest exporter of lithium in the world and has the largest lithium mine in the world. Each quarter, the Australian government produces a report from the Department of Industry Science and Resources which discusses Lithium and most of the other minerals needed to support the EV revolution.

The report is 175 pages long and this article focusses on the sections dealing with copper, nickel, zinc, and lithium.

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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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