Shore Power for More States in the US, and First Fuel Cell Hyundai Xcient Electric Vehicle Unveiled in New Zealand

US, Mexico Plan to Cooperate on Semiconductors for Electric Vehicles

Market Impact Factor: High

Amna Mumtaz ?| Junior Analyst – E-mobility

Mexico was invited to take part in a push to move semiconductor manufacturing from Asia to North America and increase the production of electric vehicles in a high-level US delegation. Mexico can take benefit from newly passed U.S. legislation that offers $28 billion in incentives for semiconductor production, $10 billion for new chip manufacturing, and $11 billion for R&D. The Biden administration’s significant investment in semiconductor manufacturing will be used by Mexico and the US to advance supply chain integration and work together to increase the production of electric vehicles through Mexico’s nationalized lithium industry.

A crucial part of the batteries used in electric vehicles is lithium. The state-run lithium firm was established by the Mexican government to handle the mineral’s discovery and extraction. Major components of the supply chains for semiconductors are already well established in Mexico, where U.S-based companies like Intel and Skyworks carry out research and development, design, assembly, and test manufacturing.

The economy of Mexico will benefit greatly from this venture. Another new U.S. legislation intends to encourage the shift to electric vehicles and the manufacturing of the batteries they require in the continent. The manufacturing of vehicles has been affected due to the global shortage of semiconductors and supply chains, which has led to high inflation and made the partnership between the two countries a significant market step.??????????

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NZ Post Unveils First Fuel Cell Hyundai Xcient Electric Commercial Vehicle

Market Impact Factor: Low

Humza Farhan | Analyst I – E-mobility

Hyundai has been in the spotlight ever since the company announced plans to develop one of the first heavy-duty fuel-cell electric trucks, the XCIENT. The vehicle is currently being integrated into the commercial vehicle market and is gaining popularity after each sale, offering lesser range constraints through its Fuel Cell technology, as opposed to Battery electric technologies.

New Zealand is currently in the process of taking advantage of both electrification strategies. Under the Government Emissions Reduction Plan, a target has been set to cut emissions from freight transport by 35 percent by 2035. Heavy transport makes up 4 percent of New Zealand’s transport fleet but is responsible for 25 percent of all transport emissions.

In attempts to accelerate electrification within New Zealand, the first of Hyundai New Zealand’s five XCIENT hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks have been purchased by NZ Post. This truck will take over from one of its emission-heavy diesel counterparts, saving 1701 tonnes of C02 per year from being emitted into the environment and displacing approximately 100 passenger cars emissions based on typical annual mileage. In order to address refueling constraints, high-capacity hydrogen refueling stations are on their way, such as Hiringa Energy’s four North Island stations coming online in early 2023. Until these first commercial refueling stations are built, the truck will be fuelled using green hydrogen supplied by BOC.

NZ Post’s Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell truck will now undergo a validation process. This includes operating the truck in different configurations, first as a truck only, then as a truck and trailer combination on several routes, gaining New Zealand-specific performance information to refine software settings and define the best-operating routes for this technology. Once the commercial infrastructure is in place next year, the truck’s ideal first operational route is likely to involve Auckland to Hamilton to Auckland to Whangarei.

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Shore Power for More States in the US

Market Impact Factor: Medium

Mustafa Mirza | Junior Analyst – Shore Power

The Port of Galveston together with Shell Trading, Carnival Corporation, CenterPoint Energy, Royal Caribbean Group, and Texas A&M University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work towards potential solutions to develop environmentally beneficial shore power at the Port of Galveston. The port is looking to install a shore power system for cruise vessels that dock at the port. It is understandable because the port is a busy cruise destination located on the Gulf of Mexico handling about a million passengers every year. Shell and CenterPoint Energy will provide their expertise in grid enhancements, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group are the intended users of the technology and Texas A&M will do the technical feasibility study for the port.

Royal Caribbean Group has announced it will retrofit its cruise vessel “Allure of the Seas” for the use of shore power when it becomes available at the new Galveston Cruise Terminal and the ship will homeport at the terminal justifying the business case for the installation. Moreover, Carnival Corporation is also planning to homeport their latest ship “Carnival Jubilee” at Galveston when it is commissioned in 2023. It will run on LNG and will be equipped to use shore power at Galveston.

Shore Power in the US has mainly been concentrated on the west coast, particularly in California and Washington. This recent development is a sign of encouragement that the shore power market is now set to expand elsewhere in the country as individual states race to meet their carbon neutrality targets and make use of the funding and grants made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Texas A&M University is also studying the potential for plugging cargo vessels to shore power at the Port of Galveston in the future.

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