Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Agreement worth 19 billion dollars between GM and G Chem

LG Chem has signed an agreement worth 18.6 billion dollars, to supply 10 years of materials for batteries and for electric vehicles to General Motors.

The chemical South Korean company will supply the automotive United States company with at least 500.000 tons of cathodic materials, sufficient to manufacture batteries for 5 million electric vehicles, until 2035. LG declared that they will produce the materials in the factory in Tennessee, under construction, starting in 2026. «This contract is based on GM’s commitment to creating a provisioning chain of electric vehicles with strong and sustainable batteries to support our steeply rising requirements of electric vehicle manufacturing», declared Jeff Morrison, vice-president of GM, manager of global purchases and of the provisioning chain.

The value of a car comes from suppliers

Matthias Zink, the new president of CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, delivered his first speech where he underlined that 75% of the value of a car comes from suppliers, manufacturers of electric motors included. «This figure proves how powerful our sector is and that the suppliers of the automotive industry are fundamental to permitting the green digital transition in Europe».
«We, as CLEPA, are ready to bring on the market technological solutions of advanced mobility and to contribute actively in the definition of policies that favour the action for climate and that support a thriving European industry. Electrification is the main trend of today’s automotive industry, but in Europe, the market of electric vehicles has been dominated by upper-segment very expensive vehicles. The automotive industry of the EU will have to speed up the pace to avoid being ousted from this crucial commercial opportunity».
CLEPA is committed to the accomplishment of the Fit for 55 programme and targets can be reached only if the shift to electric mobility is assisted by suitable infrastructures, renewable energy and accessible prices, a sound European chain of battery supply, and a flexible European regulatory framework, which allows all technologies to share in the reduction of emissions. «In our whole broad agenda, from emissions to digitalization and sustainability, and up to trade and competitiveness, besides other issues, the general regulatory framework must remain ambitious but flexible to enable unceasing innovation. This will help us hit our targets in a much faster and more efficient manner, meanwhile guaranteeing consumers’ choice. In my profession, I have grown following an uncompromised customer orientation».

Yamaha Motor takes over Torqeedo and boosts the boating electrification

Yamaha Motor has announced they have signed an agreement with the German company Deutz Ag, owner of Torqeedo, a brand that manufactures electric marine thrusters, for the takeover of the latter’s all corporate shares. It is a coherent move with the development strategy in the electric and sustainability sector. Torqeedo, pioneer in the field of electric powertrains for navigation, offers a broad range of products including outboard and inboard electric motors, batteries, and a broad range of accessories. Moreover, the company holds numerous patents concerning electric marine motors, propellers, and electric systems, as well as an important R&D centre, equipment for the mass-production, and resources for the development of state-of-the-art environmental technologies.
“The combination of the assets of Torqeedo and the technical expertise and know-how of Yamaha in the design of hulls, marine motors, and much more, will give birth to synergies for the creation of average-power electric outboard motors. Carrying out the Marine Case strategy, Yamaha will offer interesting added-value products and services to its customers and will hit its long-term target: being a company that takes care of the ocean’s value and increases it, providing its customers with a reliable rich experience at sea”, Yamaha explained.

In 2023 Daimler Truck sold +277% of electric trucks

Der eActros im Winter: Fragen und Antworten zum Betrieb bei Kälte, Eis und Schnee The eActros in winter: Questions and answers about operation on ice and snow and in cold weather

In 2023 Daimler Truck sold in total 526,053 units of trucks and buses, scoring a small growth in comparison with the previous year. Inside this balance sheet, Daimler Truck counts 3,443 units of electric battery models, which represents a 277% rise versus 2022 when 914 units were registered.

Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck Holding AG, declared: «In 2023, we increased again our sales despite a constantly difficult supply situation. Our sales of electric battery vehicles have more than tripled compared to the previous year and we enlarged our portfolio of electric battery vehicles to ten different models for our customers in 2023. This is the base for the future growth and underlines our aspiration to drive the transport of the future».

The prices of Chinese cells for EV are collapsing

According to statistics divulged by TrendForce, the prices of the cells for Chinese electric vehicles dropped by 50% in December 2023 versus January 2023. However, their stabilization is foreseen by the second quarter of 2024, then growing with an estimated yearly rate of around 15-20%.

TrendForce has affirmed that a lower number of market orders and the suppliers’ need for stabilizing cash flows have led to low-price strategies, with a decrease in consumers’ demand in the last month of the year. The intense competition in the bidding process pushed centralized procurement prices below CNY 0.40, equivalent to 0.06 dollars/Wh, undercutting the manufacturing costs of some producers.
TrendForce surveys that in 2023 the sector of lithium-ion batteries registered a significant capacity release. However, owing to the final demand slowdown, the sector entered a cycle of offer excess, leading to a significant reduction of raw materials prices for lithium batteries. At the end of 2023, the price of lithium carbonate had fallen under 100,000 CNY/ton, resulting in a constant decrease in the costs of cells’ materials.

In UK, a demo programme for electric trucks at the starting line

In the ambit of the initiative by the United Kingdom Government and by Innovate UK, Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator Programme, DAF XD and XF Electric will be part of a demonstrative programme lasting 5 years, concerning long-distance routes for industrial electric battery vehicles.
DAF XD and XF Electric vehicles will start being used by primary players and the fleets that take part in the demonstrative programme include Maritime Transport, Marks & Spencer, Menzies, Royal Mail and Eddie Stobart.
“The Government’s funding represents a great opportunity to demonstrate and encourage the implementation of electric battery vehicles in long-distance operations and with heavier weights. Our state-of-the-art DAF XD Electric and XF Electric models are the ideal choice for fleets, with operational capacities up to the maximum GCM of 42 tons allowed for the five-axle zero-emission combinations in the United Kingdom. Moreover, our vehicles offer a maximum autonomy of 500 km with a single charge and, if the fast 325-kW charge is available, even 1,000 km a day can be travelled “, stated David Kiss, Managing Director of DAF Trucks UK.

Green Vehicles, electric minibuses in Ancona streets

Specialized in the production of electric and hybrid vehicles, the innovative SME Green Vehicles will manufacture by 2026 nine electric minibuses for the public transport in Ancona, six of them already delivered in 2024. The new ecologic fleet will be implemented thanks to the RRNP, more precisely to the funds of the Next Generation Eu for the “Renewal of green bus and train fleets” of Italian Municipalities.

“These electric minibuses efficaciously support local bodies and companies in the transition towards a sustainable mobility. A simple solution that allows replacing existing vehicles with more eco-friendly means. The advantages will be notable also in terms of operation costs”, explained Enrico Cappanera, General Manager of Green Vehicles.

The vehicles with zero environmental impact, electrified by Green Vehicles and set up by Ristè, will be equipped exclusively with an electric motor, powered by a pack of lithium batteries, with autonomy of over 200 km.

The Indian market of electrical steel is growing

Varuun Kappoor, Business Specialist at TechSci Research explained that India electrical steel market is predicted to proliferate during the forecast period owing to various driving factors such as growing demand for electrical steel from various industries and high consumption of electrical steel in motors and transformers across the country. «Electrical steel is also called silicon electrical steel, silicon steel, relay steel, and transformer steel. Electrical steel is a specialty steel that is used in the cores of electromagnetic equipment including motors, generators, and transformers that helps in minimizing power loss. It is an iron alloy with silicon as the primary adding component in place of carbon. Specific magnetic qualities are produced by the precise formulation, including a tiny hysteresis area that results in low power loss per cycle, a low core loss, and high permeability. “The rising demand for electric motors from residential, commercial, and industrial sectors is the major driver that is propelling the market of electrical steel across the country. Electrical steel is widely used to create power generators with enhanced electromagnetic properties and minimal carbon dioxide emissions, as well as motors with increased magnetic flux and torque».
Various market players have invested in the automotive industry, directly increasing the demand for electrical steel in the Country. Some numbers: in January 2023, MG Motor India invested 100 million dollars to expand the manufacturing capacity in the whole Country, in December 2022, Mahindra & Mahindra invested 1.2 billion dollars in a manufacturing plant of electric vehicles in June and in November 2022, Maruti Suzuki India had spent about 865.12 million dollars for several projects, including the building of a new plant in Haryana and the release of new models. Finally, in April 2022, Tata Motors invested 3.08 billion dollars in the sector of passenger vehicles for next five years.

Advanced Electric Machines: 26.3 million Euros for a sustainable electric motor

The English Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) has recently raised EUR 26.3 Mln in a Series A to tackle detrimental material usage in the automotive industry. The financing round was driven by Legal & General Capital and Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, with huge additional investments by Par Equity.
Established in 2017, AEM specializes in the development and production of sustainable electric motors and powertrain systems, designed to eliminate the need for rare-earth magnets and cooper windings. Their technology not only delivers performance and efficiency comparable to permanent magnet motors but also addresses the cost concerns and reduces dependence on geographically concentrated supply chains.
The funding round was led by Legal & General Capital, Barclays’ Sustainable Impact Capital and Par Equity, together with Northstar Capital, the Low Carbon Innovation Fund and Turquoise Capital Llp. The funds will be used to expand production capacity, foster their product lines, enhance their R&D department, and implement a global sales and service footprint.

The circular economy Hub of Stellantis was born

Inside Mirafiori district in Turin, Stellantis has established its SUSTAINera Circular Economy Hub (Circular Economy Hub, CE Hub), with an all-round approach based on the strategy of the 4R: Reman, Repair, Reuse and Recycle. Its first activity phase concerns the regeneration of motors, gearboxes and batteries for high-voltage electric vehicles, the reconditioning and the dismantling of vehicles, with the target of adding others in the future.

The Hub, fruit of an investment worth 40 million Euros, provides for the employment of 550 workers by 2025 and will generate over 2 billion Euros of revenues within 2030, in the ambit of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan. The primary goal of this forefront Circular Economy Hub is extending the service life of components and vehicles, granting them a longer life. When this is no longer possible, the material is collected for the recycling from the activity of regeneration and dismounting of vehicles at their life end, then reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle to originate new parts and new vehicles.

“The Circular Economy Hub collects competences and activities aimed at creating an excellence centre in Europe,” declared Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis. “We are industrializing the sustainable recovery and the reuse of materials, giving birth to new technologies and competences while we are growing in the sector. Our commitment to the regeneration, repair, reuse and recycle not only will relieve the pressure on our planet, but will also bring financial value to Stellantis, safeguarding our future while we are transforming our manufacturing and consumption model”.
Besides supporting its primary activities, the Circular Economy Hub integrates also the recent actions by Stellantis aimed at strengthening its global electrification ecosystem and at supporting carbon neutrality ambitions, such as the collaboration with Qinomic to develop light commercial vehicles’ electric conversion, and the setup of the first Battery Technology Center in Mirafiori district, to test and to develop in-house batteries for electric vehicles.