Fras-le Acquires Juratek in UK

Fabio Ferraresi
Fabio Ferraresi

Fras-le announced plans to acquire the operations of AML Juratek, the parent company of Juratek and BettaParts, which operate in the UK and European aftermarket, with lines of braking products such as discs, brake pads, calipers and actuators. Fras-le said it intends to invest about US$ 22 million (£ 18.2 million) in the acquisition.

Fras-le will continue to work in the European market with the Juratek and BettaParts brands and will receive the reinforcement of the other iconic brands of the company in the global market, such as Fras-le and Fremax, expanding business possibilities. In 2022, AML Juratek recorded revenues of approximately £25 million.

The acquisition is added to Fras-le’s global structure of operations, currently present with industrial units in Brazil, the United States, China, Argentina, Uruguay and India, as well as distribution, technology and development centers and commercial representations to serve customers in more than 120 countries on five continents.

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PowerTALK™, May 2023

Read about Show Reports in Europe and South America in the May issue of PowerTALK Report. In this issue, you’ll also find a global forecast for inboard marine engines, Kia’s plans for tailored EVs and Weichai’s plans to join forces with BYD to jointly produce batteries.

IN THIS ISSUE
  • Alternative Power:
    • Caterpillar and NMG Join Forces
    • Volkswagen Plans Its Largest Battery Factory In Canada
    • Cummins To Invest $1 Billion in Hydrogen Network
    • Japan’s Love of Hydrogen Power Could Lead To Failure
  • Global: Marine Inboard Market Forecast: US$4.45B
  • North America: EPA Releases Phase Three GHG Standards
  • DataPoint: North American Lawn Mowers
  • Brazil/South America:
    • Show Report: Agrishow 2023
    • Show Report: Automec Special
  • Europe: Show Report: Hannover Messe 2023
  • Japan: Hitachi Plans Remote Excavator
  • South Korea: Kia Plans Customer Specific EVs
  • Thailand:  China To Build EV Plant in Thailand
  • China: Weichai, BYD To Jointly Produce Batteries
  • India: Rural Areas Play Vital Role in EV Adoption

Scania Launches HV Truck with 900km Range

The X-gas line, presented by Scania in June 26, in Piracicaba (SP) will have versions with powers of 280, 340 and 410 horsepower, and has a range of 900 kilometers, 400 km more than Scania’s debut version in the gas segment.

The longer range was made possible by increasing the number of cylinders that store fuel in the chassis of the vehicles. There are 16 tanks, eight on each side, with a capacity ranging between 118 and 95 liters. In the gas truck previously launched by Scania, there were eight tanks in total.

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VW Announces Pickup Truck To Fight with Fiat Toro

Volkswagen has announced plans to introduce a pickup truck at its São José dos Pinhais plant in Paraná, Brazil, currently dedicated to assembling the T-Cross SUV. This new model, referred to internally as Project Udara, is part of the automaker’s €1 billion investment cycle in the country extending until 2028.

In addition to the pickup, the investment includes the development of two flex-hybrid vehicles, a new SUV, and a new engine, slated for production at the Brazilian assembly lines in São Bernardo do Campo and São Carlos.

The forthcoming pickup, larger than the existing Saveiro model produced in São Bernardo do Campo, is expected to feature a flex-fuel engine, with potential hybrid variants. Project Udara is set to be constructed on the MQB platform, and its launch is expected in early 2026.

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Brazilian Marcopolo OKs Fuel Cell bus in Europe

With a capacity of 53 passengers, Marcopolo’s model, the Audace Fuel Cell, is a road unit. The version of the product made in China that has been exhibited and already approved for Europe, carries the cylinders in the luggage rack. Kent Phang, the Sales Director of Allenbus, partner of Marcopolo on the FC vehicle, says there is also an option to place the hydrogen cylinders over the body. With four cylinders, the vehicle exceeds 500 kilometers, according to the company. With six cylinders it is possible to reach 900 kilometers.  

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Survey: EV Range Anxiety Slips in Importance

Euromonitor International has released the results of its Electric Vehicle Readiness Index for 2023 survey, which evaluates the most prepared countries which can support widespread EV adoption.

Norway, Switzerland and Sweden ranked at the top of the index, due to EV market maturity and consumer buying power. Brazil, South Africa and India were ranked at the bottom, owing to limited government incentives, low incomes and the undersupply of public charging stations

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South America TPI Expected To Climb 22% in 2024

St. Paul, Minnesota, USA— The Power Systems Research Truck Production Index (PSR-TPI) increased from 107 to 116, or 8.4% for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2023. For the fourth quarter of 2023, ending Dec. 31, 2023, the index increased from 112 to 116, or 3.6%, compared to Q3 2023.

South America. Medium and heavy commercial vehicle production is expected to increase by 22.1% this year after a significant decline in 2023 primarily driven by a weaker economy and the implementation of the Proconve 8 emission regulations in Brazil last year.

The PSR-TPI is a quarterly truck production report that measures global truck production in six regions: North America, China, Europe, South America, Japan & Korea and Emerging Markets.

This data comes from OE Link™, the proprietary database maintained by Power Systems Research.

The next update of the Power Systems Research TPI will be in April 2024 and will reflect changes in the TPI during Q1 2024.  PSR

Jim Downey is vice president – global data products at Power Systems Research and Chris Fisher is the senior commercial vehicle analyst at Power Systems Research 

South American Truck Production Index Climbs 3.4%

April 16, 2024— The Power Systems Research South America Truck Production Index (PSR-TPI) increased from 88 to 91, or 3.4%, for the three-month period ending March 31, 2024 (Q1 2024), from Q4 2023. The year-over-year (Q1 2023 – Q1 2024) PSR-TPI increased  from 75 to 91, or 21.3%.

The PSR-TPI measures truck production globally and across six regions: North America, China, Europe, South America, Japan & Korea and Emerging Markets. The South America TPI measures truck production in Brazil, Argentina and Columbia.

This data comes from OE Link™, the proprietary database maintained by Power Systems Research. PSR

Jim Downey is vice president – global data products at Power Systems Research and
Chris Fisher is the senior commercial vehicle analyst at Power Systems Research