Venture Firm Raises 4.2 Billion Yen for Electrification Projects

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

PowerX, Inc. says it has raised 4.15 billion yen in funding for two electrification projects: one is to develop its own “Power ARK,” a ship that carries electricity, and the other is to build a large-scale storage battery factory in Japan.

The idea behind the Power Transfer Vessel is to store electricity in container-shaped storage batteries and transmit it by ship, with an eye toward the expansion of offshore wind farms. Conventionally, power is transmitted from offshore wind farms to land via submarine cables, but the aim is to develop the Power Transfer Vessel that can replace submarine cables. This will make it easier to construct power plants offshore in windy distant seas. The construction of submarine cables that pass high-voltage electricity is environmentally hazardous, but the Power Transfer Vessels are cheaper than cables and will enable power transmission to be realized sooner.

Power Ark 100. The first vessel, the “Power ARK 100,” will have a length of approximately 100 meters and will be equipped with 100 storage batteries in the form of shipping containers, enabling it to store 220 MWh of electricity. This is roughly equivalent to one day’s worth of electricity for one city (22,000 households). In the event of a large-scale power outage or other disaster, the ship will serve as a contingency power source. Larger vessels are also planned, and a 220-meter-long vessel capable of carrying 3,000 containers would be able to transport 5,660 MWh of electricity.

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Honda To Discontinue Two-Wheeled Gasoline Vehicles

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT

On Sept. 13, 2022, Honda announced it will eliminate gasoline-powered motorcycles by the mid-2040s. All new vehicles will be EV motorcycles; 3.5 million, or 15% of global sales, are to be EV motorcycles by 2030. Honda has already declared that all its four-wheeled vehicles will be EVs by 2040, but this is the first time the company has laid out a concrete strategy for decarbonization on two wheels.

From now on, Honda will pursue electrification exclusively with EVs. First, it will launch at least 10 EV motorcycle models by 2025. Since investment in new vehicle development and production facilities will be a heavy burden, Honda will use a common platform for batteries, motors, and other components for three large motorcycle models to be launched in Japan, the United States, and Europe between 2024 and 2025.

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PowerTALK™, February 2023

In This Issue

Read in the February 2023 issue of PowerTALK News about the 240 ton EV mining truck than can charge in 30 minutes. At the same time, Volvo unveils an electric mixer truck and Japanese OEMs push to develop battery production in North America.

  • Alternative Power
    • • 240 Ton Electric Mining Truck Charges in 30 Minutes
    • • Study Shows Plug-in Hybrids Dirtier Than We Thought
    • • From Diesel to DC
    • • Volvo Unveils Electric Concrete Mixer Truck
  • Global: MC Market Grows 5.48%
  • N. America: Charging Infrastructure Blocks Adoption for BEV’s
  • DataPoint: Dumpers/Tenders
  • Brazil/S. America:
    • • Hitech Electric To Produce 100% EV LCVs
    • • Hyundai Keeps Gamma Engine in Units for Colombia
    • • Legislation for AG Tractors Cabin in Brazil Has Changes
    • • January Truck Production in Brazil drops 72%
  • Europe: Deutz, Daimler Align
  • China: Adoption of New Energy Commercial Vehicles Pushed
  • Japan: OEMs Seek Battery Production Channel in NA
  • South Korea: Hyundai To Start Operations at Plant in Vietnam
  • SE Asia: Kubota Seeks Manpower
  • India: Budget Focuses on Capex

Urban Railroads Delayed

SOUTHEAST ASIA: VIETNAM REPORT

The development of urban railroads in Vietnam has been significantly delayed. The opening of the second line in the capital Hanoi is expected to be delayed to 2027, and the first line in the southern city of Ho Chi Minh City may not open until the end of 2023.

In addition to financial difficulties, there are cases where administrative authorities are not proactively resolving problems, leading to further delays.

In mid-September, Hanoi City abandoned the planned Hanoi Urban Railway Line 3 (Nhon Hanoi Station), which was planned to run through the center of the city, to open by the end of the year. The line is 12.5 kilometers long. Construction of the line began in 2010, and although it was originally planned to open in 2015, it is believed that the plan has already been changed about five times.

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TADA Raises US$5 Million To Enter EV Tuk Market

Singapore-based MVLLabs, the operator of car dispatch service TADA, has raised US$5 million. MVLLabs is a company that operates a mobility ecosystem based on the blockchain protocol. TADA, a no-fee car dispatch platform built on MVL’s blockchain, launched in Singapore in 2018.

In 2020 they are also expanding into Cambodia and Vietnam. MVLLabs plans to use the funds raised to facilitate continuous expansion and further develop the mobility ecosystem.

According to them, mobility data such as transactions, journeys, accidents and vehicle maintenance are recorded and connected within a single MVL ecosystem. Users can interact with the MVL ecosystem on the blockchain through connected services such as TADA and other upcoming services. Operating in Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam, TADA has over 50,000 drivers and more than 500,000 users.

Source: BRIDGE (The original article was partially revised by the author.)

PSR Analysis: Unicorn companies in Southeast Asia have been raising large amounts of capital. Tech companies are solid. They are cleverly combining sophisticated business strategies with promotion to attract investors.

There has been a noticeable trend in the past for foreign companies with huge capital to invest in Southeast Asia, and the Southeast Asian governments have also been eager to attract factories in the region in anticipation of this. But now, in addition to that trend, homegrown companies are making their presence felt by challenging the local market. As COVID-19 is bringing globalization to a standstill, the trend of local companies growing as a local economic base will accelerate further.

Three-wheeled taxis with various names such as Tuk, Bajaj, Tricycle, etc. can be found in many cities in Southeast Asia. For example, there are about 22,000 registered tricycle taxis in Thailand. In the Philippines, there are an estimated 2.5 to 3 million tricycle taxis. However, air pollution due to exhaust emissions and noise pollution due to engine noise are two of the main problems, and there are calls for the adoption of EVs as a solution to these problems.

Several companies have carried out test deliveries of EV Tuk Tuks, but there have been a number of breakdowns in the past because of exposure to heavy rain during the rainy season. It will be interesting to see what strategies companies with no previous experience in vehicle development will adopt to enter this field, where durability is strongly demanded. PSR

Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research

Q2 2021 Truck Production Report

Chris Fisher, Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research, discusses the Q2 2021 global production facts and related forecasts for medium and heavy trucks, as reported in the quarterly PSR Truck Production Index.

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 global truck production with Chris Fisher. Chris is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research.

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New Vehicle Sales Increase 33% in September

SOUTHEAST ASIA: 6 MAJOR COUNTRIES REPORT

New vehicle sales in the six major Southeast Asian countries totaled 317,765 units in September, up 33% from the same month last year. The figures were compiled from new vehicle sales statistics released by automobile industry associations and other organizations in each country. This is the 12th consecutive month that sales have exceeded those of the same month last year; the economic recovery from COVID-19 continues, with sales up 8% compared to September 2019, even before the spread of the infection.

Indonesia, the largest new vehicle market in the region, saw a 19% y/y increase to 99,986 units. This was the highest single-month sales volume in 2022. The tax exemption for some models ended at the end of September, and there appears to have been a rush demand for new vehicles.

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Thailand Kubota Takes Measures To Secure Manpower

SOUTHEAST ASIA: THAI REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

In Thailand, one of the most industrialized countries in Southeast Asia, automation is accelerating in the manufacturing industry as the working population tapers off. Workers’ attitudes are changing, and fewer Southeast Asians are migrating to Japan. Business models based on cheap labor are no longer viable in Asia.

When I visited the Amata City plant of Siam Kubota, a locally incorporated subsidiary of agricultural machinery giant Kubota Corporation, I saw countless automated guided vehicles (AGVs) running in every direction.

Sales of tractors and combine harvesters are booming, thanks in part to the government’s special demand for subsidized farm machinery for those who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 disaster and are now returning to their hometowns to start farming. The fruits of this policy are being returned in the form of year-end bonuses, and Siam Kubota is not suffering from a labor shortage at this time.

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PowerTALK™ News, February 2020

We’ll Be Looking for You in Las Vegas

CONEXPO-CON/AGG is North America’s largest construction trade show representing the construction and concrete industries will be opening in Las Vegas in a few weeks, and we’ll be there.  Even though we’ll have a full team at the show of nearly a dozen PSR representatives, it will be difficult to hit all of the 2,800 exhibitor areas, so let us know how we can meet up with you.

If there’s a time that works best for us to visit with you at the show, please let us know.  Just call or drop us an email. Email us at info@powersys.com or call us at 651.905.8400, and we’ll plan to get together.   PSR

In the meantime, here are several articles from the February issue of PowerTALK News, to keep you updated on global power equipment news.

CONEXPO We’ll Be Looking for You at CONEXPO

Read our staff reports from CONEXPO.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG is North America’s largest construction trade show representing the construction and concrete industries.  Even though we’ll have a full team at the show with nearly a dozen PSR representatives, it will be difficult to hit all of the 2,800 exhibitor areas so let us know how we can meet up with you.

We always welcome the opportunity to engage and meet with the industry.  An in-person meeting provides that chance to place a face with a name, discuss industry trends as well as explore any challenges that we might be able to help you tackle!

If there’s a time that works best for us to visit with you at the show, please let us know.  Just call or drop us an email.

Email us at info@powersys.com or call us at 651.905.8400, and we’ll plan to get together.   PSR