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Daimler Truck Launches Zárate Plant
Fabio Ferraresi Daimler Truck inaugurated a new US$110 million industrial complex in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, reinforcing its long term manufacturing strategy in South America. The facility will produce Mercedes-Benz Atego and Accelo trucks alongside OH and OF bus chassis, while also integrating a logistics center and Argentina’s first remanufacturing operation dedicated to commercial vehicle spare parts. The plant replaces part of the former Virrey del Pino operations and is expected to support both domestic demand and export activities across Latin America.
The project represents the first greenfield automotive manufacturing investment in Argentina in approximately 15 years and follows the operational separation of Daimler Truck from Mercedes-Benz Group in 2021. According to company statements, the site is designed to improve logistics efficiency due to its proximity to port infrastructure and to increase production scalability. Installed annual production capacity may reach approximately 10,000 units.
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Komatsu Reports Record 2025 Sales but Profits Decline
Akihiro Komuro Komatsu announced that its revenue reached a record high for fiscal 2025 due to the effects of a weaker yen and improved pricing. However, the company explained that profits fell below the previous year’s level due to declining demand for construction machinery in North America and rising costs.
In North America, the company reported that demand for residential construction remained sluggish and that machinery purchases by rental companies had also declined. It also noted that the Asian market remained generally weak.
Conversely, demand for mining equipment remained high, with the resources sector underpinning its performance. It also stated that its parts and services business had performed steadily.
Furthermore, although Komatsu acknowledged that ‘the business environment remains uncertain’, the company expressed the view that ‘infrastructure investment and mining demand will remain robust’.
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South Korean Shipbuilders Win $1.1 Billion in Orders
Major South Korean shipbuilders HD Hyundai, Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries secured a total of approximately $1.1 billion in new orders in a single day, it was reported.
The article explains that demand for LNG carriers and high-value vessels remains strong. It also states that demand for low-carbon, high-efficiency ships is growing due to stricter environmental regulations.
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Ag Machinery Market To Continue Growing
VIETNAM REPORT
Akihiro Komuro The Vietnamese agricultural machinery market is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period due to labor shortages in rural areas and rising demand for mechanization. Efforts to improve rice production are boosting demand for agricultural machinery, especially small tractors and tillers. Japanese brands like Kubota and Yanmar maintain a strong market position, but Chinese competitors are increasing their presence. Small-scale farmers consider initial costs, durability, and after-sales service when making purchases. Government policies aimed at modernization are also supporting market growth.
Source: Mordor Intelligence
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CATL Launches Production of Sodium-Ion Batteries
Jack Hao Saying it has solved core manufacturing challenges, CATL said it will start mass production of sodium-Ion batteries this year. This marks sodium-ion technology’s shift from a backup option to mainstream use. The company says sodium-ion batteries show strong potential for extreme weather and energy storage.
Volatile lithium carbonate prices have pushed the industry to hunt for alternatives and secure supply chains. Sodium offers clear cost advantages and better cold-weather performance. As CATL, BYD and other leading players now enter with full supply chains, technical hurdles are being cleared, and commercialization is picking up speed. A new “sodium-lithium parallel” energy landscape is taking shape.
This shift from backup option to mainstream strategy reflects CATL’s heavy investment and bullish market outlook. By 2025, the company had poured nearly $1.47 billion US dollars (10 billion yuan) into sodium-ion R&D. Chairman Zeng Yuqun expects the technology to capture 30–40% of the existing battery market. In CATL’s vision, sodium-ion batteries are no longer just a supplement to lithium, but a key force in reshaping the market.
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Toyota–Maruti Realignment Reshapes Auto Future
Aditya Kondejkar The recent strategic announcements from Toyota and Maruti Suzuki mark the most significant supply-side shift in India’s auto sector in years. Both companies—already deeply linked through product sharing, technology exchange, and electrification strategies—are now doubling down on India as a long-term manufacturing hub.
Their parallel yet complementary decisions signal three major structural shifts: India’s rising importance in global automotive supply chains, the pivot toward future-ready platforms, and an attempt to stabilize costs amid global supply volatility.
Sources: Reuters Read The Article Read the Article
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A Drop of Up to 10% on the Horizon
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is reprinted with permission from the publisher AutoData. The article includes substantial information from Priscila Von Zuben Spadine, Data and Forecast Manager at Power Systems Research.
By Natasha Werneck
AutoDataHigh interest rates, weak demand, and the smaller impact of the Caminho da Escola program are dragging down the pace of Brazil’s bus industry
Priscila Von Zuben Spadine After posting moderate growth in 2025, although below initial expectations, the Brazilian bus market entered 2026 in contraction, recording a pronounced decline in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. Data presented by Anfavea, the association representing chassis manufacturers, show that, despite a punctual rebound in March, the performance of the last three months reinforces a slowdown scenario.
Registrations rebounded and totaled nearly 2,000 units in March, up 50% from February and 9.3% higher than in the same month of 2025. In the quarter to date, however, the result remains negative: 4,400 buses were licensed, representing a 19.6% decline compared with the same period in 2025.
“For the bus market we had projected a 3% decline in 2026 and, through March, the contraction is already above 19%,” says Anfavea president Igor Calvet. According to him, the scenario “is beginning to become concerning,” especially because of the sector’s structural dependence on public programs: “A large part of the market depends on public policy, especially the Caminho da Escola program, which carries a great deal of weight.”
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A Failed Experiment? Biofuels Under Spotlight
Guy Youngs On March 31, EU ministers met to discuss the global shortage of around 11million barrels of oil per day. At the meeting, European Commissioner Dan Jørgensen urged nations to outline measures to reduce the use of oil and gas, particularly in transportation. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused panic within Europe. As a result, the EU has been advised to consider biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Unlike America, Europe is struggling to find sources of oil that are either not in Russia nor the Middle East. As a result the European Union has been advised to look again at Biofuels.
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