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NEDO Begins R&D of Hydrogen Aircraft
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) says it will launch a four-topic research and development project for the development of next-generation aircraft, including core technologies for hydrogen aircraft and drastic weight reduction of major structural components of aircraft.
By using Japan’s strengths in elemental technologies such as hydrogen and materials, the project aims to increase the ratio of participation in international joint development of airframes and engines (currently about 20-30%) and contribute to the decarbonization of the aviation sector. It will be implemented as part of the Green Innovation Fund project with a total of 2 trillion yen. The budget is 21.08 billion yen. Kawasaki will develop the core technology for hydrogen aircraft, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd. will develop complex shapes and dramatically reduce the weight of major structural parts of aircraft.
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Chip Shortages Cause Worst Festive Season in Decade for Auto Industry

Aditya Kondejkar 2021’s festive period from Navratri to Diwali (October) marked the worst performance for India automakers in nearly a decade. Usually, sales of PVs peak during the period, however, the demand was much lower this year.
Further, two-wheeler and tractor sales dropped by about 10%. The major reason for this drop is supply-side challenges on semiconductors and lack of demand in entry-level segments for both PVs and two-wheelers.
In the commercial vehicles space, the situation was somewhat better with an increase in demand for interstate movement of goods.
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Weichai Delivers 150-Ton Mining Trucks

Jack Hao The 150-ton large-scale mining truck delivered by Weichai has accumulated more than 50,000 hours of trial operation, with a total mileage of more than 360,000 kilometers, a 70% increase in efficiency, and a 10% reduction in unit energy consumption.
This product is equipped with a powertrain system consisting of Weichai Group’s 17-liter engine + 3300 Nm high torque 8-speed gearbox + 60-ton drive axle. The operation equals the output of two trucks, which significantly reduces the number of vehicles need for a specific job, greatly reduces operating costs, and brings considerable economic benefits to customers
Source: Weichai Power Read The Article
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Argentina Car Sales Drop 24%, But Production Grows

Fabio Ferraresi Sales in October 2021 are 24.1% lower than the same period of 2020 in Argentina, at about 25,000 units. This is also 1.6% lower than September 2021. On the other hand, production has grown 42.8% in October 2021 over October 2020 with 41,000 units produced, driven by strong exports.
Source: Automotive Business Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Brazil's shortage of cars is due to a shortage of semiconductors and supply chain issues caused by the demand increase for…
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Chinese Higer Bus To Produce Electric Buses in Brazil by 2023
This Chinese OEM confirmed the plans to start the production of its vehicles in Brazil by 2023 after the initial phase of importing the first units in 2022. In 2021, road tests of the Azure A12BR will take place in São Paulo using the regular city bus fleet.
Source: Automotive Business Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Higer Bus has announced an investment of US$ 10 million for production infrastructure but it has not announced the location of the manufacturing facility. Although…
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Stellantis Confirms Second Electric LCV in Brazil
Soon after the recent launch of the Peugeot e-Expert, Stellantis announced the Citroën e-Jumpy on Friday Nov. 12. Price, drives, batteries configuration, autonomy have not been announced yet. However it announced the growth expectations from 1.2% Market Share to 4% with the new electric launches.
Source: Automotive Business Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Although it has not been announced, the most likely scenario is that Citroën e-Jumpy will use the same configuration as its…
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BMW Starts Production of CE 04 EV Motorbike

Emiliano Marzoli The CE 04 falls somewhere between a maxiscooter and a light electric motorcycle, with a distinguished concept style. Initially, the rated power will be 42 Hp, giving the CE 04 a 2.6 seconds to 50km/h and 120 km/h max speed. A second model will be soon available with 31 Hp, with slower acceleration but similar top speed.
Acceleration won’t be the only difference. The battery in the faster model will be bigger, with 8.9 kWh of capacity and is rated for up to 130 km (81 miles) of range. The reduced power model has a maximum range of 100 km (62 miles). It will be possible to charge the bike under different circumstances, at home, or public places. Two built-in chargers will be available, ranging from 2.3 kW to 6.9 kw. Charging will take from 1 hour and forty minutes to 4 hours depending on the selected option. BMW said that 20 to 80% battery charge will take 45 minutes, making this a very practical vehicle.
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Edge Computing: Healthcare
In his ongoing series on edge computing, John Krzesicki talks with returning guest Carrie Geotz about edge computing in the healthcare industry.
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DATAPOINT: 2021 NA Production of Tractors
101,500 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of tractors to be produced in North America during 2021. In this report, we consider North America to include Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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 combined plant totals of 75% Deere leads in production of AG tractors in North America with about 63,200 units. In second position is Kubota (8,000 units) with 9.5%. Third is Case with about 8%.
Worldwide Distribution: Canada exports about 75% of its North American Ag Tractor production, Mexico, about 60%, and the United States, up to 45% of its total production.
Trends: In 2020, production of Ag tractors in North America decreased nearly 24% to only 84,600 units. Production is expected to rebound 20% in 2021 to more than 101,500 units. COVID-19 related factors played a role in the decline last year, especially for parts availability and equipment inventory levels. Expect production to increase 10% by 2025. PSR
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research

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