LNG May Be Fuel for Long-Haul Trucking

INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar

With the increasing penetration of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) network across India, many cities may transition from conventional diesel-powered vehicles to CNG for the last mile.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) could be a favorable option for heavy and long hauls due to its higher energy density and hence a lower payload penalty and potential range, a lower carbon footprint/noise levels and its cryogenic temperatures which makes it a theft-proof fuel option.

At the same time, the use of HPDI (High-Pressure Direct Injection), a system that enables heavy–duty trucks to operate on natural gas with diesel- like performance would also aid in the switch to LNG.

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Biodiesel Mix Increase Begins in Brazil

During its first meeting March 17, 2023, the new leadership of the National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE) approved an increase to 12% of the mandatory blend of biodiesel to diesel sold in Brazil, after April this year.

The proposal approved by the CNPE sets the addition of biodiesel in the composition of diesel to grow in April this year from the current level of 10% (B10 mixture) to 12% (B12 mixture). The content will be raised to 13% (B13 mixture) in April 2024, to 14% (B14 mixture) in April 2025 and to 15% (B15 mixture) in April 2026.

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2032 Marine Inboard Market Forecast: $4.45B

GLOBAL REPORT
Michael Aistrup
Michael Aistrup

The global marine inboard engines market is expected to grow from $2.75 billion in 2022 to $4.45 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 5.1%, according to forecasts by Power Systems Research.

A marine inboard engine is a reciprocating engine mounted within a boat’s hull.  It is a four-stroke engine that has been modified for maritime usage. The engine spins a drive shaft that passes through the hull and is connected to a propeller. While outboard engines must be periodically serviced to ensure they remain watertight, inboard engines typically do not require much maintenance. Additionally, inboard engines tend to be more fuel-efficient than outboards.

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EPA Introduces Phase Three GHG Emission Standards

NORTH AMERICA REPORT
Chris Fisher
Chris Fisher

In early May, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a virtual public hearing regarding the Phase 3 greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy duty trucks.  There are various comments and opinions from the stakeholders that attended the hearing.  Along with introducing the Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) rules to begin for MY 2028 trucks, the EPA also revised the Phase 2 GHG standards for the MY 2027 truck standards. 

This link from CCJ (Commercial Carrier Journal) is a good overview of the conference.

CCJ: ‘Destined to fail’: Trucking sounds off to EPA on new Phase 3 greenhouse-gas regs

The Environmental Protection Agency this week held virtual public hearings related to its Phase 3 greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, unveiled last month. Among the dozens who testified during the hearings, trucking industry stakeholders were part of a small minority advocating for EPA to take a step back and reconsider the proposed standards that would take effect beginning with model-year 2027 trucks.

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Rural India May Play Vital Role in EV Adoption

INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar

Electric vehicles (EVs) witnessed strong growth in the Indian market in 2022, with a three-fold increase in sales as compared to the year before. Official data shows that Indians have bought 2,780,000 EVs since January 2023 at an average of more than 90,000 EVs per month. Significantly, the demand for EVs is not limited to metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, but is increasing in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets as well.

Source: Financial Express    Read The Article

PSR Analysis: While the growth of EVs has been primarily focused on urban areas of India, we are seeing a significantly improved adoption of EVs in rural parts of the country. The statistics from Vahan, the national vehicle registry, reveal that sales of electric cars and 3ws from the contribution of the top 10 districts in India has dropped significantly from 55%-60% in fiscal 2021 to 25%-30% in fiscal 2022. In the 2Ws segment, the percentage has dropped from 40%-45% to 15%-20%. The noticeable gaps here are being filled up by smaller towns and rural India.  

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Hyundai Motor and LG Energy To Build Battery Plant in U.S.

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions said they plan to build a joint automotive battery plant in the United States.

They will split the total investment of $4.3 billion (about 600 billion yen) on a 50-50 basis and plan to start operations by the end of 2025. As conditions for EV subsidies in the U.S. become clearer, several local investment plans are in the works.

The new plant will be built in Bryan County, Georgia. With a standard production capacity of 30 gigawatt-hours per year, it will be able to supply batteries for approximately 300,000 EVs. In addition to Hyundai Motor’s dedicated EV plant in Georgia, the plant will also supply batteries to Kia’s plant in Georgia and Hyundai Motor’s plant in Alabama.

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PowerTALK™, June 2023

Commercial vehicles are in the news this month. Japan is looking at a major merger of truck OEMs, Cummins is delivering a Hydrogen fuel cell truck, Brazil has announced incentives for MHVs and KCMG says it will produce EV trucks in Brazil. Read these reports and more in the June issue of PowerTALK News.

IN THIS ISSUE
  • Alternative Power:
    • Electric Vehicles and The H2 Battle to be Included in the Family
    • New Battery Recycling Center Will Have A Big Impact On Europe
  • Global: Electric Scooter Market Could Reach $56B in 2033
  • North America: CARB Is Phasing Out Heavy Trucks
  • DataPoint: North American Off-Highway Trucks
  • Brazil/South America:
    • Brazil Announces Incentives for MHV and LV
    • XCMG To Produce EV Trucks in Brazil in Two Years
  • Japan: Hino Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso To Merge
  • South Korea: Hyundai Motor and LG Energy To Build Battery Plant in U.S.
  • Indonesia:  Indonesia Plans To Become Major Player in Car Industry
  • China: Cummins Accelera Delivers Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck
  • India: Suzuki Moves Aggressively To Regain India Market Share

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

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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Japan Sets Target of 300,000 EV Chargers by 2030

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has released draft guidelines for the installation of EV chargers, with a target of 300,000 units by 2030. This is double the previous target of 150,000 units and 10X higher than the current number of installations. The company is calling for the installation of chargers in commercial facilities.

The draft guidelines also call on operators to improve the speed of charging and the convenience of operation. To achieve decarbonization, the government is pushing to expand the installation of rechargers, which had only about 30,000 units as of March 2023.

The installation target includes 270,000 regular chargers at commercial facilities and 30,000 fast chargers on highways. The introduction of a new charging method called “plug-and-charge” will also be encouraged. This is a system in which vehicles can be authenticated and charged simply by plugging them into the charger; it has been adopted by Tesla in the United States. The system eliminates the need to hold a membership card over the charger or use a smartphone app to authenticate personal information.

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