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Russian Government To Pay 60% of Expenses for Switching Vehicles to NG
The Russian government subsidies now will cover 60% of individuals’ and small business’ expenses for switching vehicles from gasoline to NG fuel. That’s up from 30%.
Maxim Sakov The minister of Power Industry has offered to increase subsidies for switching vehicles belonging to individuals and small business two times – from 30% to 60%. Another 30% will be paid by Gazprom at the expenses of its marketing program. Therefore, vehicle owners should pay only 10% of the cost to switch.
The government will assign US$ 0.7 billion (50 billion Rubles) for development of the NG fuel industry during the period 2020-2024. This includes an annual assignment of 3.5 billion rubles for gas fuel stations and 0.7 billion rubles for fleet modification.
There are 484 gas stations in Russia (May 2020), 329 of them belong to Gazprom. In 2019, the fuel sales on gas stations increased 30%. Read The Article
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Japan: Toyota, Nissan and Honda Research e-Fuel as New Fuel
Toyota, Nissan, and Honda each are preparing for stricter environmental regulations in 2030 by focusing on research and development of e-fuel, a synthetic liquid fuel made from carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2).
Akihito Komuro e-Fuel is a liquid hydrocarbon chain fuel made from the catalytic synthesis of H2 and CO2 from the electrolysis of water.
Generated from renewable energy sources, they are “carbon neutral,” which means they emit and absorb the same amount of CO2. The e-fuel can be mixed with gasoline or diesel fuel.
The three Japanese companies each have begun researching efficient synthesis and use methods and business models. The reason for researching e-fuel is that, in addition to complying with regulations, the degree of penetration of e-fuel will have a significant impact on the ratio of EV and HEV sales.
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National Grid Joins Switch-on Mode Team
Qin Fen In July, MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology summoned a meeting with local governments, industry associations and automotive companies on battery switch-on implementation. People attending offered thoughts on implementing battery switch-on operations, sharing recommendations for policy and discussing challenges of proposed actions.
Source: D1 EV Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Electric vehicle development is facing several different technology road…
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Brazil CE Sales To Grow 15% Despite COVID
Fabio Ferraresi Construction Equipment Internal Sales in Brazil from January thru May grew 35% over the same period of 2019. The Brazilian Machinery Builders´ Association (ABIMAQ) expects 2020 sales to hit 20,000 machines, 15% more than in 2019.
Source: Valor Econônico Read The Article
PSR Analysis: The Construction segment was the less affected by the pandemic than some other segments. The interest reduction directed investment to real state, especially housing, and some measures, such as the new regulation for sanitation, recently approved by the parliament, will boost the Construction business in 2020 and more significantly in the coming years. PSR
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DataPoint. NA Tillers 2020 Forecast: 261,100 Units
The 261,100 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of tillers to be produced in North America (Mexico and the U.S.) in 2020.
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 52%, MTD leads in production of tillers in North America. In second position is Schiller Grounds Care with 33%, and in third place is Honda Power with 5.5%.
Exports: Mexico exports up to 65% of its production, and the U.S. ships up to 35% of its production worldwide.
Trends: Production of Tillers in North America decreased nearly 16% in 2019, compared to 2018. Production is expected to drop an additional 10% in 2020. The decline is attributed to Husqvarna discontinuing their line of tillers along with a lull in demand for new products.
In recent years, there has been a steady demand for tillers in both the commercial and residential sectors. Driven by an acceleration in GDP growth, consumers will be increasingly willing to spend their disposable incomes on durable goods, landscaping services, and recreational activities, thereby boosting demand for both consumer and commercial outdoor power equipment.
It’s possible that COVID-19 may cause a production decline, but this impact may be only minor because homeowners are keeping up their yards and creating flower beds, etc. Expect production to increase 10% by 2025. PSR
Carol Turner, is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, at Power Systems Research
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Powersports Industry Leading Economic Comeback
The Powersports industry–featuring ATVs, motorcycles and watercraft–appears to be leading the way on the road to economic recovery. According to Motorcycle & Powersports News magazine, this increased demand for powersports is helping values bounce back from historic lows.
Michael Aistrup According to Scott Yarbrough, senior analyst for motorcycle and powersports at Black Book: “After the first month of the COVID-19, shutdowns put a freeze on powersports values during the beginning of the spring selling season, and the second month saw dramatic declines.
This month values are up across the board, some by the largest amounts we have ever seen in a monthly update. A combination of surprisingly strong demand, coupled with drops in availability of units, has led to this resurgence in values,”
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On-Highway Batteries Serve as Emergency Backup Power
Audi and the utility EnBW are pioneering an energy storage facility built on retired electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This partnership is being billed as the solution to a major problem in each industry.
Tyler Wiegert For automobile manufacturers, the question of how to recycle retired batteries has been pressing for some time. Utilities have been struggling with the perverse problem that excess generation from renewable sources has been slowing adoption, as surges from those sources can disrupt the stability of power grids.
EV batteries have a functional life of 3-10 years after they are retired from vehicle use, making them a ready tool for use by utilities.
Portland General Electric Company (PGE) also is seeking to create a more resilient grid for the utilization of renewable energy sources. They are launching a pilot program to incentivize the installation of home battery systems to act as a virtual power plant.
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Pepsico Acquires 18 Scania Trucks Fueled by NG / Biomethane in Brazil
After the first sale of NG trucks at Fenatran in October 2019, Scania has sold 22 more, including 18 to Pepsico. The forecast of 100 NG Trucks to be sold this year has been reduced because of the pandemic effect.
Source: Estadao Read The Article
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DATAPOINT: US Lawn & Garden Tractors, 2020 Forecast: 681,500 Units
681,500 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Lawn & Garden Tractors to be produced in the United States in 2020.
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 38% 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%; third, also with combined plant totals, is Deere & Co. with 24%.
Exports: Up to 25% worldwide.
Trends: In 2019, production of Lawn & Garden Tractors in North America (US) increased nearly 8%, but production is expected to drop 16% in 2020. The gain in 2019 was the result of increased demand for new fuel-efficient models combined with the demand for new equipment. Latest models offer a variety of features for home buyers based on yard size (acreage). Entry-level lawn riders are suited for 1.5 acres or less and usually have 1-cylinder engines.
Mid-grade riders have twin cylinder engines with high HP’s that work well in large cutting areas. The forecasted decline is caused by the temporary lull in production of the Craftsman line along with unfavorable mowing conditions (wet spring) and the saturation of new products in the market.
COVID-19 may play a factor in the manufacturing decrease because of plant shutdowns, however production can easily ramp up to meet demand for these seasonal items. Production is expected increase up to 5% by 2025; lifespan of this product is about 10 years. PSR
Carol Turner Is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, Power Systems Research
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Pandemic Disruptions Hinder Auto Battery Adoption
My other article in this month’s issue of PowerTALK News describes how home battery systems, even though they are not themselves viable products for most consumers, still benefit from a virtuous cycle of product improvement and investment because of the relative success of battery-powered vehicles and other battery-powered products.
Tyler Wiegert But the COVID-19 pandemic has not missed those drivers. Venture Beat magazine reports that investors are largely avoiding lithium this year, preferring to safeguard cash until the economy starts to improve. The delay in funding could have several knock-on effects.
One is consolidation in the industry. Ganfeng Lithium is picking up a lithium project from Lithium Americas, a smaller operation. Fewer, larger players in the market later on might have price consequences for lithium adoption after the economy improves and demand for those goods increases.
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