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Chinese Joint Venture Begins Mississippi Battery Plant
CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao ACT Company (AMPLIFY CELL TECHNOLOGIES LLC ), a Chinese a joint venture company, has broken ground for a battery production plant in Mississippi.
ACT Company was established by EVE Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary EVE Energy US, Cummins, Daimler Trucks, and Paccar. The joint venture will produce prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries, mainly for designated North American commercial vehicle applications. It will have an annual production capacity of about 21GWh and will provide more than 2,000 local jobs.
The project is expected to start shipping in 2026, and the three foreign enterprises and their affiliates will become the main customers, purchasing most of the products from the factory.
ACT Company is the first project of EVE Energy’s CLS model, aiming to enhance the flexibility and competitiveness in the global cooperation process, and to work with more partners to jointly promote sustainable development. The successful beginning of this project marks the entry of EVE Energy into a new stage of global development.
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Honda To Cut Thai Car Production
THAILAND REPORT
Akihiro Komuro Honda said it plans to integrate its two automotive manufacturing plants in Thailand by 2025. The move will cut annual production capacity in Thailand by 50% to 270,000 units.
Production at the Ayutthaya plant will be discontinued and consolidated at the Prachinburi plant in central Thailand. The Ayutthaya plant has an annual production capacity of 150,000 units. Honda's total production capacity in Thailand is 270,000 units, but there was a surplus of 147,000 units in…
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Bajaj, TVS Enter CNG Two-Wheeler Market
INDIA REPORT
Aditya Kondejkar
Bajaj Auto has recently launched the Freedom 125, the world’s first CNG-powered two-wheeler, generating significant buzz in the Indian market. This innovative move has boosted Bajaj’s market position and also inspired other manufacturers, like TVS, to explore CNG options.The Freedom 125, priced between Rs 95,000 and Rs 1.10 lakh, offers an impressive CNG mileage of 102 km/kg, which appeals to environmentally conscious consumers and those looking for cost-effective fuel alternatives.
Source: CNBCTV18: Read The Article
TVS Motor Company is set to follow Bajaj’s lead by developing the Jupiter 125, which will be the first scooter to feature a factory-fitted CNG (compressed natural gas) kit. Slated for launch early next year, the Jupiter 125 is aimed to compete directly with Bajaj’s Freedom 125, offering similar pricing and dual fuel options.
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2024 North America Scooter Production
Download PDFDATAPOINT REPORT
Scooters/Minibikes/Mopeds are motorized 2-wheeled vehicles used primarily for recreation, although they are used for primary transportation in many cases.
It’s important to note that Go-Ped manufactures stand-on scooters.
This product information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink™ , which provides information on engines, and OE Link™, a database of equipment manufacturers. PSR
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research
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European Batteries Could Be 60% Less Carbon Intensive Than Chinese
Moving the EV supply chain to Europe would cut the emissions of producing a battery by 37% compared to a China-controlled supply chain, according to new analysis by lobbying group Transport & Environment (T&E). This carbon saving rises to over 60% when renewable electricity is used.
Securing other parts of the battery value chain will be even more challenging given China’s dominance and the EU’s limited expertise. The report finds Europe has the potential to manufacture 56% of its demand for cathodes – the battery’s most valuable components – by 2030, but only two plants have started commercial operations so far.
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Diesel Demand Hits 26-Year Low
US diesel demand plummeted to its lowest seasonal level in 26 years in Q1 2024. The production of distillate, the petroleum-based fuel that powers trucking, heating, and heavy industry, plunged to 3.67 million barrels per day in March (down from more 4.1 million barrels last year) according to monthly data from the US Energy Information Administration.
Even in diesel-loving Europe, the diesel engine is dying. Volvo, for example, recently built its last-ever diesel vehicle, and companies like Nissan, Hyundai, and Daimler (parent company of Mercedes-Benz and the Freightliner and Rizon truck brands) have also backed away from developing new internal combustion engines.
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North America and Europe MHCV Alternative Power Update
Chris Fisher As the governments of Europe and North America (U.S. and Canada) continue to push for a transition from fossil fuel powered vehicles to zero-emission vehicles, a number of significant barriers to adoption will continue to hamper this initiative.
Significant barriers to adoption of zero-emission vehicles include the total cost of vehicle ownership, a lack of charging and grid infrastructure, truck resale values and duty cycle issues. The primary types of alternative propulsion that are in focus include Battery Electric, Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Hydrogen ICE engines and to a lesser degree, Natural Gas and Biodiesel ICE engines. The vast majority of the medium and heavy commercial vehicle industry support the transition to zero-emission vehicles but the short timeline for implementation is causing great concern throughout the industry.
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2024 Global Golf Cart Revenue To Hit $1.84 Billion
Michael Aistrup Power Systems Research estimates the Global Golf Cart Market to be $1.84 billion in 2024 and expects this market to reach $2.81 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.65% during the forecast period.
Market Demand Drivers. Theincreased popularity of the game of golf by senior citizens, women, and juniors has increased the demand for golf carts. The increased use of these eco-friendly electric vehicles by government and industry also has pushed demand.
- Sustainability and Environmental Concerns. Governments, golf courses, and consumers increasingly are emphasizing the need for eco-friendly alternatives. Electric golf carts, with their lower emissions and reduced environmental impact, meet these concerns.
- The solar golf cart segment is projected to experience rapid growth, primarily due to its eco-friendly nature and lower operating costs.
- Popular golf destinations and resorts experienced an influx of tourists, and millions of new participants have started golfing for the first time are leading to higher demand for golf carts.
- Increased participation. More than 2 million newcomers have been added to the industry for eight consecutive years between 2012 and 2019, with the number exceeding 3 million per year between 2020 and 2022.
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JCB Invests To Double Its Size in Latin America
BRAZIL/SOUTH AMERICA REPORT
Fabio Ferraresi JCB has unveiled the largest investment in its history in Latin America. It will inject US$ 100 million into its Latin American operations with the goal of doubling its size in the region by 2030.
The majority of the resources, US$ 70 million, will be allocated to factory expansion. According to JCB, US$ 30 million will be invested in the modernization of the Sorocaba (SP) facility.
An additional US$ 10 million is earmarked for the development of new products and the localization of certain equipment. Another US$ 10 million will be directed towards the distributor network.
The company says this investment is expected to generate 1,000 new jobs: 300 direct and 700 indirect. Currently, JCB employs 600 people in Latin America, most of whom are based in Sorocaba, which serves as the production hub for the entire region.
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Ford To Manufacture Ranger Engines in Argentina
Ford has announced the production of 2.0 and 3.0 V6 engines for the new Ranger in Argentina. The engines will be manufactured at the General Pacheco plant, where Ford has been producing the pickup since 2023.
Initially, only the Lion 3.0 V6 engine will be produced in Argentina. In the second half of the year, the 2.0 engine will also begin production in Pacheco. Ford has not disclosed the localization rates for each engine. Previously, the Panther 2.0 engine (170 hp and 41.2 kgfm) was sourced from India, while the Lion 3.0 V6 engine (250 hp and 61.3 kgfm) was imported from England.
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