November 18, 2021
THE WITNESS
Alternative energies Daimler testing electric drivetrains, hydrogen fuel cells and biodiesel for CO2-neutral freight ALWYN VILJOEN Around the world, fleet operators are trying to shift from burning diesel to powering trucks with alternative fuels. Michael Dietz, president and CEO of Daimler Trucks and Buses Southern Africa, said there is no single solution in this quest, with current research and development aiming to deliver all electric or hydrogen fuel cell motors, with a lesser focus on using existing engines to burn carbon-neutral biodiesel. Dietz was speaking at a media function in Pretoria, held to announce the separate listing of Daimler Trucks AG on the Frankfurt stock exchange and a new business structure for Daimler Trucks and Buses Southern Africa (DTBSA).
Industry briefs FAW DEALERSHIPS GO THE EXTRA MILE The CEO of FAW Trucks SA, Yongjun Li, has praised three FAW dealerships in KZN for going the extra mile to look after their customers. FAW Trucks has 22 dealerships across South Africa, three of them in KwaZulu-Natal, in Pinetown, Port Shepstone and Richards Bay. The Pinetown FAW branch was established in 2010 and dealer principal Mike Williams has been at the helm of the facility since 2013. “FAW Trucks has achieved great success in South Africa since 1994, and I am convinced that sales figures will continue to climb as the brand gains even further traction on the local market,” said Williams. On the South Coast, the brand is represented by FAW Port Shepstone, which falls under the umbrella of Thompson Motors. This family business has a proud heritage stretching back to the 1950s, and with Richard Thompson oversee-
ing the commercial vehicle side of the business, FAW Trucks has gained a strong and loyal customer base in the region. “Much like our business, FAW Trucks has a long history in South Africa and as one of three dealerships in the province we take the responsibility of upholding its reputation for strength, reliability, ease of operation and value for money very seriously. “As a result, we are constantly pushing ourselves to do better, ensuring that we provide customers with dedicated service and support of the highest quality,” said Thompson. In Richards Bay, the ETTC group of companies sells and services FAW trucks. Established in 1992 and focusing exclusively on the truck market, the group was quick to realise the potential of FAW Trucks. Corrie Barnard, director of ETTC commended, FAW Trucks for becoming a preferred commercial vehicle brand in South Africa. — Witness Reporter.
CARE FEST OFFERS FREE CHECK-UPS Daimler AG and TotalEnergies have partnered to de-carbonise road freight in Europe to meet fleet operators’ need for trucks that meet zeroemissions laws in cities and ensure carbon-neutral transport. trucking, but he agrees with the prediction in last week’s edition of Wheels that internal combustion engines will be around for many more years. He said specifically on Africa’s long rural roads, old engines burning locally produced biodiesel look to offer fleet managers the best solution for carbon neutral transport. Dietz said Daimler is testing 100 e-Trucks, which have now done over seven million kilometres with clients in Europe, but these tests show that batteries cannot yet match the range that hydrogen or biodiesel-fuelled engines guarantee on Africa’s long and lonely
roads. “There is no single solution, but hydrogen and biodiesel are most promising to replace fossil fuels [in Africa],” said the man who worked his way to CEO after starting as sales trainee with Daimler in 1990. Daimler-Total JV in Europe In the European Union, meanwhile, Daimler AG and TotalEnergies have partnered to de-carbonise road freight. The partners aim to demonstrate the attractiveness and effectiveness of trucking powered by clean hydrogen and lead the roll-out of hydrogen refueling stations.
The collaboration includes hydrogen sourcing and logistics, dispensing of hydrogen at 150 service stations in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, which TotalEnergies aim to have ready by 2030. As part of the collaboration, Daimler Truck is also to supply hydrogen-powered fuelcell trucks to its customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France by 2025. Karin Rådström, CEO of MercedesBenz Trucks and Member of the Board of Management at Daimler Truck, said in a statement that hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks, as well as purely battery-
powered trucks will enable a CO2-neutral long-haul freight segment in Europe. Alexis Vovk, President of Marketing and Services at Total said creating a European network of hydrogen truck stations, which are relatively expensive compared to simply burying fossil fuel tanks in the ground, is one of the key challenges. To establish hydrogen-based transportation as a viable option, both companies will focus on reducing the total cost of ownership of hydrogen trucks, working with authorities on a regulatory framework in the European Union.
JAPAN: CAR COMPANIES TEST ALT FUELS
Africa should import used cars from SA, says Patel
ALWYN VILJOEN
With a total manufactured or assembled vehicle production of one million, Africa is punching well below its weight that should see annual volumes around five million and there is enormous potential to scale up production. Speaking as part of a panel discussion at the Intra Africa Trade Fair being held at the Durban ICC, Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel said one of the issues that needed resolution was the volume of imported secondhand cars coming into Africa. Robert Cisek, chair and CEO of Volkswagen South Africa pointed out 75% of the local production volume is exported to Europe, adding: “We should be exporting more to Africa. “While used car imports are detrimental to growing the auto industry in Africa, the second hand market is vital in the overall picture, but that used car market should be generated from within and come from replacement sales of new cars.” The fact Africa is now a free trade region is a vital step in accelerating the
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Kawasaki Heavy Industries), Subaru Corporation (Subaru), Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), Mazda Motor Corporation (Mazda), and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Yamaha Motor) jointly announced today that in pursuit of carbon neutrality they will take on the challenge of experimenting with different fuel options, including in internal combustion engines at the (threehour) Super Taikyu Race in Okayama on November 13-14. Specifically, to further expand options for producing, transporting, and using fuel, the five companies intend to unite and pursue the three initiatives of • participating in races using carbon-neutral fuels, • exploring the use of hydrogen engines in two-wheeled and other vehicles, and • continuing to race using hydrogen engines. In these aims, Subaru and Toyota are promoting efforts that include vehicle electrification, such as by introducing the jointly developed Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X BEVs, which are scheduled for global launches in mid-2022. Since 2010, Kawasaki Heavy Industries has been focusing on hydrogen as a next-generation energy source and has been developing technologies for producing, transporting, and using hydrogen throughout the entire supply chain needed to support society. Researchers at Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki will also jointly explore achieving carbon neutrality using of internal combustion engines on motorbikes. Meanwhile, Kawasaki plans to launch three all electric motorbikes at the EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show next week. Mazda plans to enter the ST-Q class of the Super Taikyu Race in Okayama with a Bio concept Demio vehicle, which has a 1,5-litre Skyactiv diesel engine that runs on 100 percent biomass-derived diesel fuel supplied by Euglena Co., Ltd. Mazda intends to conduct verification tests in various environments and conditions to contribute to the expansion of the use of next-generation biodiesel fuel. These are not pie in the sky dreams. Toyota is already collaborating with Fukuoka City, which has been deriving hydrogen gas from domestic wastewater sewage since 2015. The city’s water treatment centre makes enough hydrogen to provide 60 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, with 55 Nm3 of gas each day.
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WHEELS
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New structure in southern Africa From December 1, DTBSA will comprise a sales and marketing unit; a customer service and parts (CSP) unit; an own retail unit; the manufacturing plant and a value-added services unit which include TruckStore, FleetBoard, Mercedes-Benz Uptime, Service24h, TruckParts, and FUSO Value Parts (FVP). In addition, DTBSA will for the first time have a “captive financial and mobility service” in Daimler Truck Financial Services South Africa (DTFS). Dietz said the production plant in East London will continue to assemble Mercedes-Benz and Fuso brands, with the same level of access to the harbour, depots, testing ground and training academy, but the truck’s logistics will be handled separately from the passenger car side of the plant. Speaking to The Witness, Dietz said going forward, hydrogen is the main focus for SA to achieve CO2 neutral
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COLIN WINDELL
Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota Motors South Africa and Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel at the Intra Africa Trade Fair being held at the Durban ICC. PHOTO: COLIN WINDELL automotive sector on the continent and could, potentially, make it one of the largest trading blocks in the world. “There is no way every country in country can have an auto manufacturing operation,” says Mike Whitfield, managing director, Nissan Africa Re-
gional Business Unit. “However, if those other countries are willing, they can participate and co-operate in the value chain by hosting first, second or even third tier manufacturers supplying into the automotive industry.” The key element to growing the sec-
tor is industrialisation across the continent along with achieving levels of standardisation in terms of customs and other regulations as well as defining policies with the regard to rules of origin. Andrew Kirby, president and CEO of Toyota Motors South Africa, said the average local content in vehicles manufactured in South Africa is above 50% and achieving quite a high value for the whole of Africa would not be an insurmountable task. At the recent ceremony to mark the first Corolla Cross Hybrid off the local production line, Kirby said: “A significant focus during the project, was also to maximise the local content for this model. We have localised 621 parts with 56 local suppliers of which 16 are Black owned. “We onboarded five new tier one suppliers and 12 new Tier 2/3 suppliers. “For those countries that have or are aiming toward auto production, a semi knocked down (SKD) assembly is a good start and demand will decide the move upwards to completely knocked down (CKD) assembly and possibly full scale manufacturing.”
Mahindra South Africa is joining affiliates around the world in celebrating the Mahindra Care Fest 2021, by offering free check-ups at dealers. The Mahindra Care Fest is an annual celebration by the brand’s technical support team, stretching from the head office in India to each country and to every dealer. The free check-up for Mahindra owners is performed by the dealers’ top mechanical specialists and includes a 30-point check-up of various
safety, wear-and-tear, and mechanical items. Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa, invited customers to take their vehicles to their local Mahindra dealer and enjoy refreshments while the technicians do a thorough check-up of the vehicle. Gupta added that Mahindra South Africa has extended its participation in the Care Fest 2021 until December 15, allowing owners to have their vehicles checked thoroughly prior to the start of the festive season. — WR.
APP OFFERS FAST, TRUSTED CAR SALES FNB has added a peer-to-peer car market to its Marketplace app, where sellers can list a vehicle in minutes, get an instant value estimate and chat securely with buyers who have been preselected by WesBank. Jacques Celliers, FNB CEO, said that in future, the Marketplace app will include WesBank’s trusted dealer network for a holistic car experience to benefit customers. Ghana Msibi, WesBank Motor CEO, said: “The expansion of Marketplace to include the ‘Car’ peer-to-peer marketplace, is our way of looking holistically at the journey of vehicle owners and buyers, and we’ve identified contextual
and simplified solutions for our customers. Through Car, we’ve already renewed and delivered over 70 000 licence discs during the pandemic, helped customers pay over 200 000 fines on the go, and loaded nearly 700 000 cars in our digital garage.” Apart from selling cars, the Marketplace app allows FNB-banked businesses to load their services, a logo, images and a short description to advertise their services to over four million app users. Additionally, business can get paid, rated and reviewed to help build a trusted community on the Marketplace over time. — WR.
HYUNDAI HOME PACKS ALL THE POWER Hyundai has good news for people who want to move off grid and stop paying high levies for every litre of fuel they burn. From next year, the Hyundai Home service will offer a one-stop marketplace platform with pre-selected, toprated home chargers, solar panels, and batteries. Hyundai said “a dedicated concierge representative” will select the best products from the best part-
ners, and guide customers with a dedicated concierge representative to create a Hyundai Home solution optimised for each customer’s individual energy needs. So far, only states in the U.S. are on the list of select markets that can afford this service, but watch the space, cheaper imitators will soon spring up to power mdonjolos in price-sensitive Mzansi too. — WR.
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The Ree Leopard is a last-mile delivery concept vehicle.
The prototype Honda Autonomous Work Vehicles in action..
Ree and Honda test driverless, last-mile delivery ’bots ALWYN VILJOEN REE Automotive and Honda this week revealed what progress their prototype, self-steering load carriers are making out in the working world. Israeli company Ree makes what they call “ultra-modular EV platforms” for fleet operators looking for fully autonomous solutions in designated areas. Everything at Ree is mix and
match, with a “skateboard battery” of up to 60 kWh powering hub motors with a work rate of up to 100 kW. The hub motors allow rearwheel, front-wheel or all-wheel drive to move a 750 kg payload on the two-ton vehicle. And these little robots are not slow or boring to sit on. Without the maximum payload on board, the little toaster on wheels can move at 160 km/h with instant torque providing thrilling acceleration.
PLANTING SOLAR PANELS Honda’s Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV), which was introduced at the Consumer Electriconics Show (CES) in 2018, was successfully used by global engineering company Black & Veatch to build a solar farm in New Mexico. Honda produced a high-definition map of the 404-hectare site that allowed Black & Veatch operators to precisely set start and stop points
for multiple Honda AWVs using a cloud-based app interface that runs on tablets and PCs. The vehicles successfully delivered materials and supplies along a calculated route and proved capable of stopping within centimeters of the pre-set points. The little electric mule can carry a 400 kg payload up loose slopes, can tow another 750 kg on level roads, and has a 45 km range with both loads on level areas..
Isuzu launches new-look Mu-X Isuzu Motors South Africa (IMSA) has introduced the much-anticipated second-generation Isuzu mu-X (pictured), which will arrive at dealers from December. Aimed at growing families who want a 7-seater, the Mu-X earned a five-star rating in the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme. Based on the upcoming Isuzu D-MAX bakkie, the introduction of the new mu-X follows the success of the outgoing model which was the
segment leader in Australia for seven years. Four models are available, two of them four-wheel drive, all with a six-speed automatic gearbox and all powered by Isuzu’s proven 3-litre turbo diesel, which makes 140 kW and 380 Nm. Pricing starts at R693 800 for the 4x2 LS and goes up to R860 500 for the 4x4 ONYX. All models are covered by the Isuzu Complete Care package with class-leading warranty of five years or 120 000 km. — WR.
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