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North America Aerators Production
Sign-up for DataPoint Reports6,200 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Aerators expected to be produced in North America during 2026.
Aerators are machines that have tines for soil penetration. The process involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots.
Engine-powered aerators are used to combat soil compaction in lawns and turf by creating holes (plugs or spikes) that allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate deep down to the grass roots, leading to healthier, stronger growth, better drainage, and reduced thatch, essential for heavily trafficked areas or tough soils. These powerful machines make it feasible to aerate large areas efficiently, delivering benefits that surpass manual methods for serious lawn care or professional use.
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.
Trends. In 2025, production of Aerators in North America decreased nearly 3%. However, production is expected to gain 4% in 2026. The gain is attributed to healthy lawn needs that include parks, residential, commercial/professional landscaping and sport fields. Expect production to increase by 10% by 2035. PSR
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, at Power Systems Research
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Ashok Leyland Takes Major Step Toward EV Leadership
Aditya Kondejkar Ashok Leyland’s move to develop and assemble its own battery packs marks one of its most strategically significant announcements in recent years. As India transitions toward a cleaner, multi-fuel commercial mobility ecosystem, this decision places the company at the center of the country’s electric commercial vehicle (ECV) transformation. The implications extend across technology, cost structure, competitive positioning, and long-term industry dominance.
At the core, battery packs account for 35–45% of an electric vehicle’s total cost, making them the single most influential factor in pricing and margins. By internalizing battery pack development, Ashok Leyland is aiming to break its dependence on third-party suppliers, reduce bill-of-materials cost, and secure tighter control over the EV value chain. This is crucial as global cell prices fluctuate and supply chains remain vulnerable to geopolitical shifts. In-house pack assembly gives the company cost stability, greater design flexibility, and freedom to optimize packs specifically for Indian duty cycles—ranging from stop-and-go urban e-buses to long-haul e-LCVs and future heavy-duty platforms.
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Alternative Power Report, March 2026
Download PDFIn the March 2026 issue of the Alternative Power Report produced by Power Systems Research and authored by Guy Youngs, you’ll find articles on plug-in hybrid research, long-run tests of PV-powered refrigerated trailers, comparison tests of EV batteries, cutbacks in Bosch China operations, and the changing cost differential between Chinese and EU batteries. Read these articles and more in the March Alternative Power Report today. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
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Hybrids May Use 300% More Fuel Than Thought
Guy Youngs Study shows PHEVs exceed government estimates. There have been several studies that suggest that hybrid electric vehicles (also called PHEVs) are simply not the great environment saver that the marketing people are suggesting. A new study by the Fraunhofer Institute shows that on average, PHEVs use more than three times as much fuel as government estimates suggest.
The study is highly credible as it was based around on-board fuel consumption monitoring data from a massive 981,035 vehicles across Europe.
A gap of over 300% is severe and makes it hard for the EU to regulate something when the estimated numbers are so wildly different from reality. The EU is aware of this problem, and is taking some measures to fix it
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First Country To Ban Sale of Gas Cars Doing Fine
In 2024, Ethiopia made history by becoming the first country in the world to ban the sale and import of new internal combustion-powered vehicles. The decision was based on several factors, but, surprisingly, environmental reasons were quite low on the list.
The major reason for this seemingly bizarre action was economics. As a poor country with no oil reserves, Ethiopia was importing US$ 4 billion of refined fuel every year – US$ 4 billion may not seem like a big number, but to a country whose total budget is only US$ 14 billion, it’s massive.
The second major reason behind the decision was the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which brings in massive amounts of energy to this energy poor country (it doubled the country’s generating capacity).
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North America Snowblower Production
Sign-up for DataPoint Reports274,253 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Snowblowers expected to be produced in North America during 2026.
A Snow Blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, ice rink, or runway. It can use either electric power (line power or battery), or a gasoline or diesel engine to throw snow to another location or into a truck to be hauled away.
Snow blowers range from the very small, capable of removing only a few inches (a few more cm) of light snow in an 18 to 20 in (457 to 508 mm) path, to the very large units, mounted on heavy-duty winter service vehicles and capable of moving 20-foot (6.10 m) wide swaths of heavy snow up to 6 feet (1.83 m) deep.
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.
Market Share. With 35.50% of total units produced, Ariens Company leads in the production of Snowblowers in NA (US only). In second position is Stanley/MTD with 21%; third Toro with 15%.
Exports: Collectively, up to 30% worldwide.
Trends. In 2025, production of snowblowers in North America decreased nearly 7%. Production is expected to remain flat with a nominal increase of 65 units in 2026. The 2025 decline is attributed to brands being discontinued along with the termination of unpopular models. The decrease also was driven by weak sales in previous seasons due to milder winters, high inventory and shift towards electric models.
Production of snowblowers typically starts in spring and summer, months before the first snowfall, making manufactures reliant on forecasting and inventory speculation. Many models sell out if demand is higher than anticipated.
Expect production to gain up to 5% over the next few years as branding issue settle and brand preference buying selecting other brands in the marketplace. End users still like new innovative products that are more efficient than prior year models. Two-stage units are extremely popular and are available in four basic grades: Economy, Residential/Homeowner, Heavy Duty/Landowner, or Professional. Consumers are always interested in more efficient units for snow removal and eco-friendly models currently in the market.
Battery & Corded Combined
2024: 11223
2025: 11868 (5.7% increase)
2026: 13372 (12.7% increase )
Battery only: (Stanley/MTD & Toro) Note: Stanley/MTDhas one model
2024: 10136
2025: 10789 (6.4% increase)
2026: 12225 (13.3% increase)
Corded only: (Toro)
2024: 1087
2025: 1070 (1.5% decrease)
2026: 1147 (7.2% increase)
*Battery increases due to new models in production
*Corded decrease model not popular PSR
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research
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Iran War, Worldwide Tariffs Disrupt Global Markets
Guy Youngs Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Feb. 28, the USA and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran which resulted, among other things, in the death of several of Iran’s senior leadership, including the Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Apart from targeting the leadership, the attacks were also aimed at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (the Iranian paramilitary organization whose official role is to support the Islamic Republic).
Iran has long threatened, if attacked, to drag the region into total war, including targeting Israel, the Gulf Arab states and the flow of crude oil crucial for global energy markets. So, in retaliation, Iran has launched a series of attacks on gulf states, Cyprus, the US Navy carrier groups in the Gulf and the Mediterranean. The US responded to these attacks by wiping out the Iranian navy and hitting various missile sites in Iran.
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Strait of Hormuz Closure May Tip Global Economy
Chris Fisher Americans are warily eyeing prices at the pump as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz grind to a halt amid the threat of Iranian attacks on vessels. The IEA took the unprecedented step of saying it would release 400 million barrels of oil from reserve on Wednesday. But oil is far from the only product for which the world economy is heavily dependent on the shallow, narrow waterway which connects Persian Gulf ports with the rest of the world. From the metals market to agriculture and autos, a de facto closure of the strait would ripple through business sectors and both the U.S. and world economy.
Aluminum is a good example. It is one of the biggest non-petroleum commerce casualties of the U.S.-Iran war. In 2025, the Middle East accounted for roughly 21% of unwrought aluminum imports and 13% of wrought aluminum imports — and those percentages have been rising. Unwrought aluminum is the raw, unprocessed metal in forms like ingots and billets, while wrought aluminum has been mechanically shaped into sheets, rods, or other finished forms used directly in manufacturing.
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