Chinese IV Standard for Off-road Machinery To Be Implemented Dec. 1, 2022

CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao
Jack Hao

On Dec. 29, 2020, the Ministry of ecology and environment announced that Dec. 1, 2022, all off-road mobile machines below 560kw (including 560kw) produced, imported and sold and their diesel engines installed shall meet the requirements of the Chinese IV emission standard.

The implementation time of Chinese IV emission of off-road mobile machinery above 560kw and its installed diesel engines will be announced separately.

In 2022, due to adverse factors at home and abroad, enterprises in the industry will generally face market pressure. In order to better switch the upgrading of Chinese IV emission standards from the aspects of supply chain and industrial chain, steadily promote the implementation of Chinese IV emission standards, reduce the operating pressure of enterprises, and maintain the stable and sustainable development of the industry, the Association recently submitted the “request for instructions on the implementation time delay of Chinese IV emission standards for off- road mobile construction machinery” to the atmospheric environment department of the Ministry of ecological environment according to the policy advice and suggestions of enterprises on Chinese IV emission, It is suggested that the conversion time of the whole machine products with the national three emission standards for construction machinery to the national four emission standards be postponed from December 1, 2022 to April 1, 2023.  Regarding the application submitted by the association to the Ministry of ecology and environment for “postponing the implementation time of the ‘National four’ emission standard for off-road mobile construction machinery”, the Association received a clear reply: it will not be further extended! Therefore, the “national four” emission standards for off-road mobile machinery will be switched as scheduled from December 1, 2022.

Source: Sohu     Read The Article

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Hino Motors’ Engine Fraud Covers 560,000 vehicles

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Hino Motors has announced that the falsification of diesel engine emission values, which was previously announced in March, had been taking place since at least 2003 or earlier. The company had previously stated that the fraud began in the fall of 2016. In 2016, the company also revealed that it had falsely reported to the MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism) in response to its request for a fact-finding survey on exhaust gas and fuel efficiency tests.

Source: The Nikkei

PSR Analysis: Although I do not wish to make such negativity a theme, I cannot overlook this issue. The impact on the industry of the fraud at Hino, which has the top share of the medium- and heavy-duty truck sector in Japan, is significant. Isuzu has suspended shipments of four bus models that use Hino engines. Not limited to the automotive field, Tadano cranes, Kobelco hydraulic excavators, Hitachi Construction Machinery wheel loaders, and Kato rough terrain cranes have also been forced to suspend shipments after the problem came to light.

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Hyundai Doosan Infracore Plans Hydrogen Engine

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT

Hyundai Doosan Infracore announced that it has been selected as the lead company for the national project “Development of Hydrogen Engine System and Storage and Supply System for Construction Machinery and Commercial Vehicles” by the Industrial Technology Evaluation and Management Agency.

Through this project, the company plans to develop a 300kW, 11-liter class hydrogen engine and hydrogen tank system with zero carbon emissions, which will be installed in commercial vehicles such as trucks and large buses, and construction equipment such as excavators by 2024. After verification, the company aims to begin full-scale mass production in 2025.

“Although hydrogen engines have high energy density, they are expensive and require technological maturity to ensure durability under adverse operating conditions,” said a company official. “For this reason, the engine system is more suitable for construction machinery and medium- to large-sized commercial vehicles than for passenger cars.”

Source: Wow! Korea

PSR Analysis: Hydrogen products in Korea are still far from practical at this point. Hydrogen can be classified as green, blue, or gray depending on the cleanliness of the production process, and the hydrogen fuel cell power plant in Korea that began operating in June emits 10 tons of carbon for every ton of hydrogen it produces. At this point, Korea’s hydrogen industry is still in the gray stage, but I do not think it is time to discuss whether the technology is good or bad, as it will take time for the technology to become more advanced.

The idea that hydrogen is better suited for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles than for passenger cars makes a lot of sense. However, mass production of a commercial model by 2024 is certainly a very high goal. With the lithium-ion battery industry currently thriving in South Korea, I will keep a close eye on the future development of hydrogen in the country. PSR

Report from Cannes Yachting Festival 2022

EUROPE REPORT
Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

The Cannes Yachting Festival is one of the largest in-water shows in the world, and this year it celebrated its 45th birthday. Founded in 1977, the show normally takes place every September. However, it missed out in 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions, but it was back in 2021, posting the best performance results ever.

This year, the show was held Sept 6-11, and featured a fleet of about 700 boats, ranging in length from 3 to 50 meters. It included motor and sailing vessels, monohulls and multihulls, inboards, sterndrives and outboards, diesel, petrol, waterjet, hybrid and electric, tenders, RIBs and others displayed in the two main city ports of Le Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto. This year, more than 56,000 visitors attended the show.

The new Polish Sunreef 80 Eco was the star of the festival. The all-electric, fully autonomous luxury catamaran of 23.87 m in length, 164 m2 covered with solar panels, is a unique boat in the industry. This luxury catamaran is equipped with ultra-light batteries with a density of 5.2 kg/kWh. The innovative system is entirely created and produced by the company itself offering the best efficiency in the marine world.

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Special Report: M&T Expo

BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA REPORT  
Carlos Briganti
Carlos Briganti

TheM&T Expo 2022 is one of the most important trade fairs in the construction and mining equipment industry throughout Latin America and this year the show featured more than 600 exhibiting brands in 54,000 square meters. Held in Sao Paulo Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2022, the event had more than 30,000 visits in four days. 

Disagreements between show organizers and exhibitors caused key players in the market to avoid the show. The list of missing exhibitors included Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu, JCB, CNH, and Volvo. Chinese companies, as well as Liebherr, took this opportunity to use large spaces at the event, both in area and in product portfolio with respective sales and engineering teams.

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Drought Forces Power Cuts at Sichuan Factories

CHINA REPORT
Qin Fen
Qin Fen

Sichuan’s worst drought in more than a half century spurred the Chinese province to extend industrial power cuts and activate its highest emergency response, adding to manufacturers’ woes as they shut down factories in the region.

Source: Bloomberg   Read The Article                            

Xinhua News Agency   Read The Article         

Shanghai Daily   Read The Article                                   

China.org.cn       Read The Article

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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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Vinfast To Export Initial 5,000 EVs To Europe and the U.S.

SOUTHEAST ASIA: VIETNAM REPORT

Vinfast has announced plans to export approximately 5,000 EVs to the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the end of 2022. This is the first time for them to export EVs. The company also plans to start construction of a new EV plant in the U.S. by the end of this year, accelerating its global strategy.

According to the plan, exports to the U.S. and other countries will begin in early November, with delivery to customers starting in December. Vinfast’s CEO revealed that the company has orders for approximately 65,000 EVs worldwide.

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Record Sales of Agricultural Machines in Brazil

BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA REPORT  
Fabio Ferraresi
Fabio Ferraresi

Friday Oct. 7 Anfavea published the number of 42,800 units of Agricultural machines sold from January to August 2022, 23.6% above same period of 2022.

Source: Automotive Business     Read The Article

PSR Analysis: Record harvest and high commodities prices enable farmers to invest in Agricultural Machines. This situation supports and sustains our production forecast for the year. PSR

By Fabio Ferraresi, Director Business Development South America

Mercedes Produces Initial Heavy Trucks in China

CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao
Jack Hao

Mercedes-Benz heavy-duty truck factory in China has started mass production and its first domestic Chinese heavy-duty truck has rolled off the assembly line. The rollout reflects the Mercedes Benz truck localization project, under which Mercedes is producing heavy duty trucks built specifically for the domestic Chinese market.

The first batch of Mercedes Benz domestic heavy trucks is scheduled to  be delivered to customers in early November.

In the process of localization, MB is striving to achieve a balance between high quality and cost. It is working with 150 domestic suppliers to improve manufacturing quality capability and localize the supply of more than 1500 parts. Presently, the localization rate of Mercedes Benz heavy truck Actros series exceeds 50%, and the localization rate of Actros C series is 90%.

Mercedes Benz trucks has established a Mercedes Benz business unit under the joint venture of Daimler Trucks Co., Ltd. and Foton Motor, which have a 50: 50 share ownership.

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