Yamaha Motor To Launch Electric Motorcycles in Europe

JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Yamaha plans to launch a series of electric motorcycles in Japan and overseas this spring. Electric motorcycles with an engine displacement equivalent to 125cc will be leased and sold on a trial basis in Europe, Japan and other countries. In response to the global trend of decarbonization, Yamaha has set a goal of reducing CO2 emissions to virtually zero by 2050. The 125cc equivalent electric motorcycle has been on the market in Taiwan, but this is the first time it has been offered in Europe and Japan.

The motorcycle has been developed based on the E01 concept vehicle, which was unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. The company avoided mentioning specifics about the range and other specifications but said that the E01 would be equipped with a high-powered fixed battery that can run at high speed while meeting the range requirements for daily use, and that it would support quick charging as well as normal charging.

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COVID-19 Update: Europe Slowly Resuming Production

April 21, 2020–After four weeks of lockdown, some European countries are slowly lifting restrictions, allowing industrial production and some commercial operations to restart, and restoring some freedoms to their citizens.  

Emiliano Marzoli
Emiliano Marzoli

In Italy, this week represents a key moment as some industries can resume production.  Agricultural and Lawn&Garden OEMs can reopen their factories, although respecting strict regulations that will reduce factory capacity.  The same is happening in Spain starting April 13, with all segments resuming work, but with differences across regions.  Moreover, many OEMs were not able to meet the new working regulations and could not resume production.

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Brazilian Production and Sales of Commercial Vehicles Won’t Recover Until 2021

Power Systems Research analyzes markets of trucks, buses, agricultural and construction machines

Brazil deaths caused by coronavirus increased sharply in April and May 2020.

Slump Caused by COVID-19 Will Last into 2021

The overall slump in production and sales of heavy commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) as well as for agricultural and construction machines should last throughout this year; these segments won’t recover until 2021.  PSR

Automotive Business – April 2020 – English version

2019 North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV)

Power Systems Research had a booth presence at the 2019 North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show that took place at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA, Oct. 28-31, 2019.

The NACV featured a “Technology Showcase” where many of the leading OEMs and supply chain companies put their latest market introductions on display.  There were over 500 exhibitors at the show – assembled in both Exhibition Hall A and Exhibition Hall B of the World Congress Center. 

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Second Wave of COVID-19 Hits India Commercial Vehicle Market

Aditya Kondejkar

The second wave of COVID-19 has put the brakes on a rebound in India’s commercial vehicle market, reports Aditya Kondejkar, Power Systems Research Analyst for South Asia Operations, in the May 2021 issue of Motorindia magazine.

Kondejkar notes that the second wave of the pandemic has caused shortages of semiconductors and steel as well as weaker consumer demand. These forces have pushed commercial vehicle production down nearly 60% month-on-month (MoM) in April.

Kondejkar points out that the India CV market witnessed a strong performance in 2018 with more than 1.13 million
units produced, owing in large part to GST implementation and replacement demand. In 2019, however, the Indian CV market began shrinking as it faced headwinds from revised axle load norms, vehicle over-capacity, BS-VI transition, and a liquidity crunch.

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MotorIndia Sponsors Commercial Vehicle Webinar

MotorIndia Magazine, one of India’s leading publications devoted to commercial vehicles, recently held an important panel discussion on the state of the country’s CV industry.

Jinal Shah

The live webinar panel discussion June 3, 2020, was moderated by Jinal Shah, Regional Director-South Asia, for Power Systems Research.

Shah began with a market prediction of a 45-50% drop in CV sales in 2020 over 2019 figures, necessarily taking the industry back by a decade in terms of progress. While touching upon a clutch of challenges plaguing the CV industry, he claimed the scenario as ‘VUCA’ (short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) in nature – a new normal that we have to accustom to.

“The world is no different. The global CV industry will also see lower demand and output in the short to medium term, which makes it all the more imperative for the domestic industry to become more competitive and grab as much as opportunities,” he said.

At the same time, Shah said, change and uncertainties have always been part of the CV landscape, yet the time frame available for stakeholders to adapt and thrive has shortened recently. “Times like that of COVID-19 have exposed numerous susceptibilities across the value chain that warrants a 360-degree overhaul,” he said.

Other leading industry executives participating in the panel were Anuj Kathuria, Chief Operating Officer, Ashok Leyland; Jayant Davar, Founder, Co-Chairman and MD, Sandhar Technologies; Sushil Rathi, COO (Transport and Procurement), Mahindra Logistics, and Siddharth Bhandari, Chairman of Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) – Bengal Region, and CEO, Bhandari Automobiles.

In his closing remarks, Shah said all stakeholders should become a change catalyst themselves, and should not wait for the external demand drivers to turn positive. Becoming competitive and collaborative is
paramount, he said, thereby focusing more on solutions
for the challenges.

“Our businesses have to move from build-to-print models to innovation and R&D-driven enterprises,” he said. “Since the traditional demand drivers are not promising, we need to do a lot internally as an industry to move beyond the uncertainties to make a winning strategy.”

This is neither the first nor the last crisis for this industry, he said, but a crisis of this kind cannot be wasted without gaining good experiences
and key learning. “We have to stop playing individually, but join others to perform a symphony to make the difference,” he added.

Watch the full panel discussion in MOTORINDIA’s YouTubechannel – www.youtube.com/motorindiamagazine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csXrR0NqKTk PSR

Komatsu to Sell Electric Construction Equipment in Europe

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Komatsu plans to release a battery-powered compact excavator that emits no exhaust gas in Europe in 2022. The company will also promote the quietness of the product and expects to use it in residential areas. Hitachi Construction Machinery will also double orders for electric excavators in fiscal 2021 compared to the previous year. Following the trend in the automobile industry, competition in the field of electric construction machinery is now in full swing.

The compact excavator to be launched by Komatsu will use lithium-ion batteries that are lightweight and can operate for a long time. It uses a motor instead of an engine, making less noise and emitting no exhaust gas. The company will first market the product in Europe, where environmental regulations are strict, and then consider launching it in Japan. Komatsu began renting several small excavators powered by lead-acid batteries on a trial basis in Japan in April 2020.

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Battery Recycling Center Will Have A Big Impact On Europe

Guy Youngs
Guy Youngs

Recycling lithium-ion batteries is extremely important, as these batteries contain valuable metals such as cobalt, copper, and lithium that can be recovered and reused. By recycling these metals, we can reduce our reliance on mining and extractive activities that aren’t free or even cheap.

Li-Cycle (a recycling company) and Glencore (a mining company) have partnered to do something significant in this space. The proposed “Portovesme Hub” would focus on producing essential battery materials like cobalt, lithium, and nickel by recycling used battery content. A letter of intent has been signed to commence the preliminary discussions.

Source: CleanTechnica   Read The Article

PSR Analysis:  This facility can’t take care of Europe’s full battery recycling needs, but the research and development of mass recycling processes sets the stage for future facilities that will take care of the rest of the needs. So, this announcement is both good for the near-term and the long-term future.   PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research