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.
Lawn mowers are produced in many designs and power sources and are designed to cut grass in lawns and public areas such as parks and golf courses. Robotic Mowers autonomously mow an area. Walk Behind Reel Mowers use blades set on a revolving cylinder or reel to cut grass. These mowers are powered either through human effort or engine power; when the reel mower is moved forward the reel moves, cutting the grass.
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research
Unlike On-Road Trucks, Off-Highway Trucks are specifically designed to work in punishing environments and are made to haul material and debris around a work site. These purpose-built vehicles are not constrained by the weight limits of their smaller on-road counterparts.
Expect production to increase 5% by 2025 as the need for new equipment for mining operations increases. It is speculated that there will be growth in the excavation of iron ore, nickel and bauxite followed by gold and copper. PSR
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, at Power Systems Research
Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia have redesigned zinc-air batteries and have found the technology to be preferable to lithium-ion batteries – even for electric vehicles, and they claim to have overcome the technology’s notorious power output limitations.
Zinc-air batteries consist of a zinc negative electrode and an air positive electrode. The chemistry holds promise and is significantly more sustainable than lithium-based counterparts, but the poor performance of air electrodes and short lifespan has limited the technology’s power output.
Indonesian ridesharing giant Gojek plans to convert all its motorcycles to EVs by 2030. The adoption of EV motorcycles is now in full swing in Indonesia, the largest motorcycle market in Southeast Asia with annual sales of more than 5 million units.
Gojek, the country’s leading ridesharing and delivery company, is said to have over 2 million registered riders, including both motorcycles and cars. The full conversion to EV bikes is expected to contribute significantly to the Indonesian government’s goal of 9 million EV bikes by 2030.
During the past few months, we have seen significant changes in the bus market in Europe and North America as operations convert from internal combustion engines to zero-emission buses.
In Europe, Scania and Volvo are moving from building complete buses to a chassis only build. The high cost of zero-emission buses and a competitive market are primary reasons for this. The expected growth of zero-emission buses is forcing the OEMs to better streamline operations, and we expect to see other large OEMs transition down this path.
Source: AMS
EV activity continues to increase across the globe as reported in the November issue of PowerTALK News. This issue features EV reports from China, Japan, North America, Brazil, South Korea and Thailand.
ALTERNATIVE POWER REPORT
GLOBAL: Outboard Marine Engine Market Hits $5.5 Billion
NORTH AMERICA: Transitioning from ICE Buses to Zero-Emission Engines
DATAPOINT: NA Graders
BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA:
JAPAN: Kubota and Sumitomo Plan Mutual Supply of Equipment
SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Sells EVs To Oil-Producing Countries
THAILAND: China Auto Manufacturer To Invest in Thai EV Motorbike Plant
CHINA: Weichai-BYD JV Begins 56 Billion Yuan, 50GWh Battery Project
INDIA: Construction Equipment Sector Poised for Substantial Growth
Read about new high energy density, cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries, CATL’s fast charging electric skateboard, a new lithium bonanza in the US and more in this month’s Alternative Power Report produced by Guy Youngs of Power Systems Research. PSR
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company and Apple Inc. plan to set up a partnership in the field of self-driving electric cars, according to Korea IT News. And recently another media outlet reported that Hyundai Motor and Apple plan to launch a self-driving EV in 2027.
In response to this news, Hyundai Motor announced that it was in early-stage talks with Apple. On Dec. 10, Hyundai Motor declined to comment on the Korea IT News report, reiterating its statement from Dec. 8 that it had received inquiries from various companies interested in collaborating on the development of self-driving EVs. Apple was not available for comment at the time of our publication.
Source: REUTERS
Honda plans to end production of the Honda e EV by January 2024. This is the company’s first mass-produced EV, but sales have been sluggish, falling short of the annual domestic sales target of 1,000 units. Going forward, the company will focus on commercial light EVs, which will be launched in the spring of 2024, to increase the electrification rate of the vehicles it sells.
The Honda e was launched in 2020. The vehicle is priced at 4.95 million yen and has a range of 259 km (WLTC mode). Sales in Europe have already been discontinued. Sales in Japan will also be discontinued once stocks run out.
The Honda e was not originally intended to be a high-volume model, but it did not meet its sales target. The company plans to expand the model lineup, starting with the N-VAN e:, a light electric vehicle to be launched next year.
Monthly news and analysis from PSR’s experts
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