We Expect 2020 NA Overall OEM Production To Be Flat

This article initially appeared in the February 2020 issue of PowerTALK News.

SUMMARY.  The North American economy remained stable in 2019 and pure economic conditions as well as fundamentals in the region were favorable. Most industries performed very well, and the short-term outlook remains stable to flat for most market segments. However, we see many new developments that could suggest a shift in the trend.

Yosyf Sheremeta
Yosyf Sheremeta

Consumer confidence declined slightly in December, following a moderate increase in November.  The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index stood at 126.5 in December, 1.4 points higher than in September 2019. 

Per Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board: “While consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved, their expectations declined, driven primarily by a softening in their short-term outlook regarding jobs and financial prospects. While the economy hasn’t shown signs of further weakening, there is little to suggest that growth, and in particular consumer spending, will gain momentum in early 2020.”

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Important Russian Mega-Project in Doubt

Maxim Sakov
Maxim Sakov

The government is considering cancelling construction of the high-speed railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

One alternative being considered is the replacement of the high-speed railway for selected cargo between the two cities. This option is lobbied by Russian Railways.

The plans to build a high-speed railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg were announced last August. The project was included in the federal budget for 2022-2024. Completion of construction work was expected in 2027.

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PSR Analysis: The most obvious reason for uncertainty of a mega-project like this, is a shortage in the budget. However, the Russian budget now is healthy and has a growing surplus. So, the Russian government may be considering a scenario where this money is required somewhere else. If this assumption is correct, it’s a crisis scenario.   PSR

Maxim Sakov is Market Consultant-Russia Operations for Power Systems Research

North American Economy Should Be Strong in 2022 But Grow at Slower Pace

Yosyf Sheremeta
Yosyf Sheremeta

SUMMARY.  2021 was a year of big hopes for economic recovery and pandemic management, and, overall, the economic rebound was strong.  Looking at the state of the economy in general, and the key economic indicators such as GDP, interest rates, employment levels, etc., the North America market finished the year on a very high note. At the same time, development of new pandemic variants as well as ongoing issues with supply chains have led to manufacturing issues.

The second half of 2021 brought steady economic activities and strong economic recovery.  Despite this strong performance, many existing and new challenges were seen.  Problems from pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, logistics backlogs, and semiconductor shortages to new virus variations and labor market issues have contributed to slower growth in Q4 2021 than during the first half of last year. 

Let’s break it down.  The “Great Resignation” means companies must make themselves more attractive to new hires, and it provides those workers who remain more leverage to change corporate cultures from the inside.

With help of government support and targeted fiscal policies, the US economy showed a strong comeback in 2021.  Furthermore, the growth trajectory is well positioned to continue to expand into the next few years, however, at much slower pace, than in 2021. 

At the same time, there are many reasons for us to be optimistic about this trend.  Our positive outlook is based on the reviews of key economic indicators, including GDP, unemployment, and inflation.  In our previous forecasts, we discussed recovery trends for the post-pandemic period, and called for a return of demand for most markets in 2021.   Last year, we witnessed a strong level of activities and an economic  rebound for

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North American Economic Outlook – April 2021

In this episode of PSR PowerTALK, Yosyf Sheremeta, PhD, Dir. of Prod. Mgt. & Customer Experience, discusses why the North American economy could post record growth of more than 6% in 2021.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3G06suFSJDqQvs9LThYhrI?si=RamKZMRqQx2oSrjNYUIePw

Transcript

Welcome to the PSR PowerTALK podcast, produced by Power Systems Research.

00:06 Joe Delmont:

From Power systems Research I’m Joe Delmont, editor of PSR PowerTALK.

Today, we’ll discuss the economic outlook for North America. This forecast has been developed by Yosyf Sheremeta, Director of Product Management and Customer Experience at Power Systems Research. Yosyf provides our clients with economic and production forecasts each quarter. Thanks for joining us today Yosyf.

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Power Systems Research and JCB Power Systems Offer Construction Equipment Outlook Webinar


On Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, at 9:00 am CST, representatives of two leading international firms will present a free one-hour webinar discussing the construction outlook in Europe and North and South America.

During the session, Power Systems Research and JCB Power Systems will present the latest information on the impact of COVID-19 on construction equipment production. JCB will provide details on emissions in developing engine technologies that are coming to market across the globe.

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Components Overview (PSR Databases 2)

Joe Zirnhelt is president and CEO of Power Systems Research, a company that provides global data and intelligence on engines and power equipment. In this podcast, Joe describes components modules and how clients use this information to enhance the power and utility of the base data. Key components include Spark Plugs, Filters, Turbos, and Axles that are added to the engines and equipment tracked by Power Systems Research.

Transcript

Welcome to the PSR PowerTALK podcast, produced by Power Systems Research.

00:06 Joe Delmont:

From Power Systems Research I’m Joe Delmont, editor of PSR PowerTALK. Today, we’re talking with Joe Zirnhelt about PSR’s database offerings and how clients use them to grow their markets.

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PM Launches Vehicle Scrappage Policy

Aditya Kondejkar

Vehicles will not just be scrapped by their age, but also if they are found to be unfit in automated testing. The vehicle scrappage policy will bring in investments of around INR 10,000 crore to set up 450-500 Automated Testing Stations (ATS) and 60-70 Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSF) across the country.

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PSR Analysis: Under the Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization program (VVMP), the government plans to set up between 450-500 automated vehicle fitness testing stations across India on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis involving private firms and state governments. A total of 60-70 vehicle scrapping centers will also be built; these stations will be situated no further than 150-200 kilometers away from any location in India. A total of seven agencies – including Tata Motors – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government today for this project. Tata Motors’ vehicle scrapping center will be set up in Gujarat, will scrap both passenger and commercial vehicles and will have the capacity to recycle up to 36,000 vehicles a year.

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PowerTALK™, August 2023

Reports of new product development and emissions are featured in several articles in the August 2023 issue of PowerTALK News. Read about VW’s breakthroughs, a new hydrogen-powered generator, and new regulations covering machine products in Europe.

IN THIS ISSUE
  • Alternative Power:
    • VW Reveals Four EV Breakthroughs
    • EVs Report Fewer Greenhouse Gases
    • Methane Is Big Greenhouse Gas Problem
    • Hydrogen Engines Pose Hurdles
  • DataPoint: North America Personal Watercraft
  • Europe: New Machine Regulations
  • Brazil/South America:
    • PSR Sponsors at SAE Mobility Forum
    • Mexico Beats Argentina in Brazil Exports
    • 29% of 2023 Brazil Trucks Have Euro 6 Engines
  • Japan: Firms Develop Hydrogen-Powered Generator
  • Vietnam: Foxconn To Invest $246 Million in Vietnam
  • China: XCMG Group, Toyota Sign Pact
  • India: Marluti Suzuki Plans India Market Expansion

CONEXPO Batteries Are Coming. We Saw Lots of Them at CONEXPO and GIE+Expo

Recently I was at a dinner with visiting members of my family discussing the noble transition that many manufacturers are making from producing their typical goods to producing essential goods and equipment for the coronavirus fight.

Tyler Wiegert
Tyler Wiegert

One that came up was Tesla’s transition to making ventilators, and one member of my family began to say that they wouldn’t want a Tesla ventilator if they were hospitalized, because it would probably catch fire and explode.

My fiance is in medicine rather than in our industry, so she took that to be a serious comment about the risk of ventilators sparking in an oxygen-rich environment. But it quickly became clear that this critic just has a deep and abiding skepticism of battery technology, because they repeatedly brought the conversation back to battery fires and cars exploding, despite there having been only 14 reported cases of Tesla vehicles catching fire between 2013 and 2019, with most of those happening after accidents.

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COVID-19 Hits European Pleasure Marine Industry

Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

The year 2020 started very well for pleasure boat builders across the Europe but it was battered in mid-year by COVID-19. The Dusseldorf trade show, Boot, held at the end of January, ended with a positive outlook and promising results for 2020. Order books were full, thanks to the great boating mood created in previous years.

The unexpected and violent Covid-19 storm came up in March. Nobody was prepared to face the challenge. Builders had to stop production or to reduce their capacities to a minimum during April and May. Production schedules had to be reorganized according to security measures imposed by the local governments.

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