Hyundai Plans $14.7 Billion for Software Development

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Hyundai Motor Company is getting serious about developing the software needed for automated driving, etc. It has decided to invest $14.7 billion by 2030 and has begun building a development structure and embarking on M&A.

Hyundai Motor Company has achieved record profits through a shift in strategy in conjunction with a generational change. The company plans to further improve profitability in the software field, where customers can add functions to their cars after purchase. But acquiring human resources will be an immediate challenge for Hyundai.

The “Over the Air (OTA)” function, which updates the latest software via the Internet, will be standard on all new models released in 2023 and after. The plan is to establish a system that allows users to be charged according to function updates. The company will first introduce content such as car navigation systems, audio, lighting, and remote-control functions, and then expand into peripheral areas such as auto insurance policies, to diversify and upgrade services in response to customer needs.

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First Synthetic Fuel Neutral CO2 Starts in Chile

Fabio Ferraresi
Fabio Ferraresi

Construction of the first world carbon-neutral synthetic fuel plant was started in Chile, in December 2022. With a US$55 million investment in the project, Siemens Energy, HIF Global and Porsche will produce Methanol and Gasoline using water, wind and CO2. The plant has a planned capacity of 550 million liters in 2027.

The Haru Oni plant is Installed in the Magallanes, Chilean Patagonia region. It is known for the vast potential for its hydrogen market, with winds of more than 6,000 hours of charge to generate green electricity, three times more than in Europe.

Source: Automotive Business     Read The Article

PSR Analysis. Cost competitiveness is the major factor in the success of this project. E-fuels are an interesting alternative to accelerate the decarbonization of the transportation industry, especially in vehicles with complex electrification, such as ocean-going vessels and airplanes where the energy density and battery weight becomes a difficult factor. PSR

Fabio Ferraresi is Director Business Development-South America for Power Systems Research

JCB Reaches Hydrogen Milestone

JCB’S £100 million investment in a project to produce super-efficient hydrogen engines is going full steam ahead. A team of 100 engineers has been working on the exciting development for more than a year and the 50th JCB hydrogen combustion engine has now come off the production line as part of the development process.

JCB’s hydrogen-fueled backhoe loader is one of three hydrogen vehicles the OEM is developing. JCB hydrogen engines are powering prototype backhoe loaders and Loadall telescopic handlers and the company has recently unveiled its very own designed and built mobile refueling bowser to take fuel to the machines. The bowser has enough hydrogen to fill 16 hydrogen backhoe loaders and can be transported either on the back of a modified Fastrac tractor or on a trailer.

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Japanese Auto OEMs Seek Battery Production in NA

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Major automobile manufacturers are actively investing in automotive lithium-ion batteries. Nissan is leading among the Japanese automakers, followed by Honda and Toyota. Along with the motor and inverter, the vehicle-mounted lithium-ion battery is considered one of the “Three Sacred Treasures” of EVs.

In particular, the on-board battery is the most important as it is the source of power. In many cases, EV production will not be possible without securing a large supply of batteries through partnerships with major battery manufacturers. However, the number of battery makers with which the major automotive companies have partnered is limited: CATL ranked first in the global automotive battery market in 2021, with 39% of the market. It was followed by LG Energy Solutions (18%) and Panasonic Holdings (12%), with the top three companies accounting for 70% of the market.

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Study Shows Plug-in Hybrids Dirtier than Believed

Plug-in hybrids pollute up to three times more than advertised, even when fully charged, and emit five to seven times as much CO2 when the engine is running, according to a new study commissioned by Belgian NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) and conducted by the University of Technology in Graz, Austria

The study measured emissions from three popular models: the BMW 3 series, Peugeot 308, and Renault Megane. Like many plug-in hybrids, these cars started as gas/diesel-powered models and then a battery was added on to improve emissions testing performance and mileage

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From Diesel to DC

For a long while, it looked as if hydrogen fuel cells would be the technology of choice for emissions-free road transport. However, truck manufacturers and freight forwarders recently turned their attention to battery-electric vehicles.

For logistics companies, the shift to zero emissions will be difficult. While it only takes a few minutes to top up the tank of a truck with diesel, it takes hours to fully charge the battery of an EV, which presents a real challenge for logistics businesses with zero-emission aspirations.

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DATAPOINT: NA ATV 2023 Production

288,000 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of ATVs to be produced in North America in 2023.

ATV is a short term for All Terrain Vehicle. It commonly has 4 wheels and is designed to be driven off road. It seats one person, or sometimes two, one in front of the other.

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Vingroup To Enter EV Cab Market

VIETNAM REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Vingroup plans to launch a cab business using EVs in the country in April. The founder and chairman of the company has established a new company, owning a 95% stake. The company plans to start the service in Hanoi, the capital of the country, and expand it nationwide within the year. The company also hopes to increase awareness of its products.

The new company, Green and Smart Mobility (GSM), is capitalized at US$ 128 million (VND3 trillion, approximately 17 billion yen) and will develop a cab business using EVs as well as a business that rents EVs and electric bikes to other cab companies, etc. GSM plans to use 10,000 EVs and 100,000 electric bikes.

Source: The Nikkei

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Alternative Power Report, April 2023

Engines powered by gasoline and diesel fuel are reaching a critical point in production compared to electric and hybrid vehicles, according to reports in the April issue of Alternative Power Report. 2026 could be a critical year. Read about this trend and related articles that address alternative power in this issue.

PSR Awards $2,000 Scholarship

Erin Kelly

Power Systems Research has awarded a $2,000 scholarship to Erin Kelly, a student at Eagan High School in Eagan, Minnesota. Erin plans to attend the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn., and study computer engineering.

Erin enjoys reading, writing, playing and listening to music and all things theater and storytelling. She doesn’t really have a favorite school subject because, as she says, “There are so many ways to view the world and love learning about all of them.”

Her favorite high school memory is “seeing everyone on stage during on stage during our recorded concert style production of Les Miserables–in masks and social distancing, it was the first normal thing since the pandemic began.”

Power Systems Research has been supporting high school science and engineering programs for many years. It has been donating to the Eagan Foundation Scholarship program since 2013.

Another program PSR funds is the Experimental Vehicle Team at St. Thomas Academy in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. The school successfully competes in international competitions with high schools and universities to build the most energy efficient vehicles. PSR