-
Yanmar Acquires Fast Growing Battery Technology Firm
EUROPE REPORT

Natasa Mulahalilovic Yanmar Holdings Co. Ltd, the multi-billion dollar multinational company headquartered in Osaka, Japan, has acquired a majority of shares of a young and fast-growing ELEO Technologies B.V. from theNetherlands, this month. The acquisition has been completed through European’s subsidy, Yanmar B.V. An earlier investor, Lumipol Group, has entirely exited the company.
As a part of Yanmar Power Technology Co, Ltd, Eleo will continue operating as an independent entity under its existing brand and with production located in their current site in Helmond, the Netherlands.
ELEO Technologies B.V. was founded in 2017 to design and produce innovative modular electric batteries systems for use in marine, industrial machine, e-mobility, commercial vehicles or specialized recreational product applications.
-
DATAPOINT: US Lawn & Garden Tractors, 2022 Production Estimate, 709,700 Units
709,700 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Lawn & Garden Tractors to be produced in the United States during 2022.
This 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 39% of total units produced, Husqvarna leads in production of Lawn & Garden Tractors in North America. In second position, with combined plant totals, is MTD with 33.5%; third, also with combined plant totals, is Deere & Co. with 23.5%.
Trends: In 2021 production of Lawn & Garden Tractors in North America (US) increased 4.5% over 2020 to 683,250 units. Production in 2022 is expected to reach 709,700 units, a gain of 4.5%, compared to 2021. The forecasted gain is driven by the demand for new fuel-efficient models in the market along with the demand for new equipment.
Production has been slowed somewhat by the temporary lull in production of the Craftsman line, the saturation of new products in the market, and the unfavorable mowing conditions caused by the wet spring.
The latest models offer a variety of features for homebuyers based on yard size. Entry-level lawn riders are suited for 1.5 acres or less and usually have 1-cylider engines. Mid-grade riders have twin cylinder engines with high HP’s that work well in large cutting areas.
Production is expected increase up to 5% by 2025; lifespan of this product has about a 10-year turnover. PSR
Carol Turner, is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research
-
German Soccer

The European office of Power Systems Research (PSR) this season sponsored a local soccer team in Germany. The A youth of the SSG Gravenbruch is playing in the district class in the district of Offenbach am Main. The club currently occupies fourth place out of a total of 10 teams. The club is coached by Dalibor Sablic, an account manager for PSR.
-
Hon Hai Delivers First EV Bus To Kaohsiung City in Taiwan
TAIWAN REPORT
On March 3, Hon Hai Precision Industry delivered its first EV, the Model T commercial bus, to a bus route operator based in Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. The company aims to deliver 30 buses by the end of this year to expand its EV business, which is a new entry into the market, and the key to its future growth will be the extent to which it can break away from its business model that relies on contracted production of iPhones.
The "Model T" was delivered to Kaohsiung Bus Company.…
-
Russia Shuts Down Half of Auto Plants
RUSSIA REPORT

Maxim Sakov March 10, 2022–The volume of working auto production facilities in Russia has dropped by 45% since the invasion of Ukraine. On March 3, work continued in Russia on 55% of the facilities for assembling LCVs and passenger cars, comparing to 2021. Last year, domestic operations produced 83% of sales in Russia.
Work continues at AutoVAZ (in Tolyatti and Izhevsk), Stellantis and Mitsubishi alliance (PSMA Rus plant), Autotor (Kia and Hyundai assembly), Nissan, Haval, GAZ, UAZ, Mazda Sollers and Isuzu. The total number of vehicles produced by these enterprises has reached 766,000, which is 55% of the sales produced by the Russian automotive industry last year. The total annual production capacity of Russian automotive industry is about 2.7 million vehicles.
After implementation of Western sanctions and the volatility of currency exchange, automakers started raising prices and stopped production and shipping cars. Companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, Renault, Mercedes, Hyundai, Toyota, Sollers Ford have announced the temporary closing of factories. Closed import to Russia Audi, Porshe, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Lexus, Volvo, Honda, Mazda and others.
-
Foreign Automakers Face Ultimatum
RUSSIA REPORT
March 10, 2022–Foreign companies which have paused their business operations in Russia must resume their work, or face bankruptcy of their Russian division.
Foreign companies made huge investments to localization production in Russia, and they don’t want to leave the Russian market, but they face unprecedent pressure by their own regulators. In this situation the government has developed three scenarios for foreign concerns’ subsidiaries which have production plants in Russia.
-
Caterpillar Plans To Stop Production in Russia
RUSSIA REPORT
March 10, 2022—The American company Caterpillar, specializing in construction and mining machines, has suspended work at its plants in Russia because of the situation in Ukraine. Caterpillar said it is donating more than US$ 1 million to the victims of the crisis.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic events continuing to occur in Ukraine and hope for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Through the Caterpillar Foundation, we are donating more than $1 million to support both urgent and…
-
KAMAZ Changes Truck Models Following Daimler’s Exit from Russia
RUSSIA REPORT
March 10, 2022—The KAMAZ plant, which was hit by sanctions, has production orders only until the end of March. Currently, the OEM is working through orders for April and May, according to a company official. Company operations are linked to supplies from Europe, which have been halted, he said.
He also added that production continues, but changes in model range cannot be avoided. The main efforts of the OEM will be concentrated on deeper localization of trucks and rearranging production using local components.
-
Piaggio Developing Electric Scooter For Indian Market
INDIA REPORT

Aditya Kondejkar Piaggio, which sells electric scooters in Europe, is developing products specifically for India but it will take 18-24 months to enter the market. It will focus on scooters and not launch electric motorcycles.
The large automaker has 2024 in its sights as a realistic go-to-market timeline for the new scooter.
“We are interested in providing customers with a solution in the two-wheeler space that (makes sense) even beyond the effect of subsidies. It is a matter of fact that the players that have entered recently in this space are gaining volumes on the base of subsidies,” says Diego Graffi, MD & CEO Piaggio India
-
Sony Unveils EV SUV, Announces Collaboration With Honda
FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT

Akihiro Komuro On March 5, the Sony Group unveiled its prototype EV “VISION-S” SUV to the public for the first time in Japan. The vehicle brings together Sony’s strengths in sensor, audio, and video technologies. On March 4, Sony announced a partnership with Honda, and the two companies will jointly develop EVs through a new company in which both companies will invest, with the aim of launching the EVs in 2025.
Following a sedan-type prototype announced in 2020, Sony unveiled an SUV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a digital technology trade show held in the U.S. in January 2022.
The side mirrors will have no mirrored surfaces and will use images and data collected from nearly 40 sensors, including those in the front and rear of the vehicle, to enhance safety. The dashboard has three displays that can show movies and other content in addition to driving information. Inside the car, Sony’s audio technology is used to provide a realistic music experience.
DataPoint Reports