Platinum today: News/Automotive

Palladium, platinum autocatalyst recycling set to rise

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The amount of palladium and platinum recovered from cars is set to rise over the next few years, according to a report in Recycling Today.

More efficient methods for recovering the metals and growing commercial demand will lead to "significant growth" in the recycling of platinum group metals, including rhodium, the report claims.

Palladium from recycled convertors will increase faster than platinum or rhodium, as the metal was used more in convertors built in the late 1990s.

Platinum will catch up, however, as the large quantities of the metal contained in diesel cars will become more available as the vehicles reach the end of their lives.

Estimates suggest palladium sourced from the recycling of scrap converters could jump by a fifth in 2012, rising to 1.62 million ounces, up from 1.35 million ounces in 2011.

"Platinum totals from recycled converters could rise to 1.2 million in 2012, from one million last year, while rhodium could see a 15 per cent increase to 260,000 oz from 225,000 oz in 2011," notes Recycling Today.

Growing demand for cars from China in particular is fuelling growth in the auto industry, which will be a key driver of increased recycling rates.

"Some measure of increase in the flow of salvage converters from China also may be expected to commence in the next decade, and with its greater mix of palladium to platinum used in converters, the majority of the pgms reclaimed will be that of palladium," the report says.

Around 78 million cars are in use in China. This could rise by 20 million a year, according to Wards Auto.

"Undoubtedly, the rate of automotive recycling in China will rise later this decade as more end-of-life vehicles make their way to market," says Recycling Today.

Currently, autocatalyst production accounts for one-third of platinum demand, according to Johnson Matthey.

Industrial applications account for 30 per cent and jewellery for 29 per cent.

One day, however, metal recovered by recycling vehicle parts could mean the supply of pgms in the auto sector becomes renewable.

Source:

REV YOUR ENGINES (16/01/12)

© Adfero Ltd

Iron-platinum nanoparticle process may lead to effective fuel cell catalysts

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A new process for assembling iron-platinum nanoparticles on grapheme may result in effective catalysts for fuel cells, according to a report in Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN).

The materials display up to nine times the catalytic activity and are more stable than current platinum catalyst.

Cathodes in fuel cells are made from amorphous carbon sheets that are embedded with platinum naonparticles.

However, the carbon eventually degrades, meaning the catalysts move around and lose activity.

Graphene – a one-atom thick sheet of carbon – offers a structure that bonds more strongly with the platinum.

"The key for catalysis is you want the nanoparticles to be uniform, with the same size and shape," explains Shouheng Sun from Brown University, who led the research.

"Compared to commercial platinum catalysts on amorphous carbon, the material shows 5.9 to 8.8 times higher current density, a measure of catalytic activity, in an oxygen reduction reaction," states C&EN.

In addition, activity does not fall even after the reaction has been carried out 10,000 times, suggesting it is a very durable material.
Graphene, hailed as a "miracle material", has a multitude of uses and is incredibly strong.

"Our research establishes graphene as the strongest material ever measured, some 200 times stronger than structural steel," says mechanical engineering professor James Hone of Columbia University.

"It would take an elephant, balanced on a pencil, to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness of Saran Wrap."

Source:

Nanoparticle Catalysts That Rest On Graphene (03/02/12)

© Adfero Ltd

Shell upbeat on fuel cell cars

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Fuel cell cars and other electric vehicles will make up 40 per cent of the world's auto market by 2050, according to oil giant Royal Dutch Shell

The prediction from Peter Voser, chief executive of the world's second-biggest oil producer, is a much more upbeat forecast for fuel cell vehicles than other oil firms, Reuters reports.

BP believes electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids will make up only four per cent of the global fleet of 1.6 billion commercial and passenger vehicles in 2030, the news provider notes.

Exxon Mobil, the world's largest oil firm, says electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and vehicles that run on natural gas would make up only five per cent of the total global fleet by 2040.

According to BP, the efficiency of combustion engines will double by 2030, with a third of vehicles on the road being hybrids, Reuters reports.

However, the pessimistic predictions coming from at least two of the main oil firms is hardly a surprise, according to Jos Dings, director of Brussels-based sustainable transport campaign group, Transport and Environment.

"A big take-up of electric cars is not something they would like to see," he told the news agency. "The future for petrol and diesel doesn't look good,"

It also seems the predictions from Exxon and BP are out-of-touch with national governments, which are promoting fuel cell and other green technologies.

Reuters says China is targeting five million electric vehicles on its roads by 2020, while Australia believes electric vehicles will make up a fifth of new car sales by 2020 and 45 per cent ten years later.

Barack Obama is aiming for one million electric vehicles on US roads by 2015, though this is only 0.5 per cent of the nation's car fleet.

The UK's Committee on Climate Change predicts electric vehicles will reach 60 percent of new cars and vans by 2030.

Meanwhile, the UK government has launched a new scheme backed by the auto industry and Johnson Matthey that will drive forward the development of fuel cell cars.

UK H2 Mobility, which is being supported by Toyota, General Motors, Daimler and Hyundai, will produce a plan of action to make fuel cell vehicles commercially available on a large scale by 2015.

Sources:

Insight: Oil industry sees no threat from electric car (01/02/12)

New Government and cross industry programme to make hydrogen powered travel in the UK a reality (18/01/12)

© Adfero Ltd

Nissan to build $2bn plant in Mexico

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Nissan is to build a $2 billion factory in Mexico to support its expansion plans in the Americas.

The plant will open in Aguascalientes next year, close to one of its two existing factories in the country, the Japanese car maker said.

"Mexico is a key engine for Nissan's growth in the Americas," said Carlos Ghosn, chairman and chief executive officer, Nissan Motor Co.

"Together with our new plant in Brazil, this new manufacturing facility in Aguascalientes is an important pillar in our strategy to ensure that Nissan has the capacity it needs to increase sales volume and market share across the Americas."

The firm recently announced it is creating a new facility in Resende in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, which will begin production in the first half of 2014.

During the initial phase of its development, the new Mexican complex will support production of up to 175,000 units per year.

The plant, which is expected to directly create 3,000 jobs, will increase Nissan's headcount in Mexico to nearly 13,500.

In 2011, Nissan sold 224,509 units in Mexico, an increase of 18.5 per cent over the previous year, and claimed around a quarter of the country's car market.

After a difficult 2011, during which Japanese car makers were hit by the March 11th natural disasters and flooding in Thailand, Nissan saw December sales in its domestic market rise 37 per cent.

In the US, the firm has gained market share for six consecutive years and finished 2011 with 8.2 per cent of the country's car market, up from six per cent just a few years ago.

But the Yokohama firm is hitting the limits of its production capacity in Mexico, with total output for the 2011 fiscal year forecast at 700,000.

Honda and Mazda have both previously indicated that they could build plants in Mexico, while Toyota has also said it may increase production in the country.

Source:

Nissan Plans $2 Billion Plant in Mexico (25/01/12)

© Adfero Ltd

Automotive Roundup January 2012

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

S. Korean automakers log record sales in 2011 (02/01/12)

South Korea's leading five automakers saw sales increase more than 13 per cent to over 7.75 million units last year thanks to strong demand from overseas.

Domestic sales were up 0.5 per cent to approximately 1.5 million deliveries, while international sales rose nearly 17 per cent to over six million units.

Hyundai and affiliate Kia led the growth, accounting for combined sales of over 6.59 million units.

GM Korea saw local sales rise to over 140,000 units, Renault Samsung's deliveries fell nine per cent and Ssangyong reported a 38.2 per cent surge in sales.

Automakers see slower U.S. sales growth in 2012 (04/01/12)

US car makers forecast slow sales growth in 2012 despite ending 2011 on a high.

Industry-wide sales of around 12.8 million vehicles for last year were up ten per cent on 2010, with Chrysler and Volkswagen reporting deliveries up by 37 and 36 per cent respectively last month.

GM and VW predict car sales in 2012 of between 13.5 million to 14 million across the industry as a whole, suggesting growth of around five to nine per cent.

"We're still in a recession-like industry," GM US sales chief Don Johnson said.

UPDATE 2-Japan Dec car sales jump, 2011 total still poor (05/01/12)

New car sales in Japan slipped to their lowest in 40 years in 2011 despite a strong December.

Sales last year fell 16.7 per cent to 2,689,074 vehicles, the lowest level since 1968, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

VW passenger-car sales rose 13% in 2011 (06/01/12)

Volkswagen delivered 5.1 million passenger cars to customers worldwide in 2011, up 13 per cent from 2010.

One-third of the deliveries went to China and Hong Kong, equivalent to 1.72 million vehicles - a rise of 14 per cent from a year earlier.

US deliveries also rebounded, jumping 26 per cent on the year to more than 324,000 units.

S.Africa 2011 vehicle sales boosted by lower rates (10/01/12)

Car sales in South Africa for 2011 were up nearly 16 per cent at an estimated 571,425 units compared to 492,907 units sold in 2010, the National Association for Automobile Manufacturers (NAAMSA) said.

"The underlying momentum remains positive and it's due to historically low interest rates. Vehicle affordability has improved quite significantly," said Nico Vermeulen, NAAMSA director.

13.7m passenger automobiles sold in 2011 (11/01/12)

Some 13.7 million passenger cars were sold in China during 2011, an increase of 2.8 per cent from the previous year, China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) statistics show.

CPCA general secretary Rao Da, who feels some manufacturers may be holding back sales from December to bolster January's figures, is less optimistic about 2012.

"Nobody is especially optimistic about the automobile market this year," he said.

Russian car maker AvtoVAZ sees 2011 sales up 12 pct (11/01/12)

Russia's state-owned car maker AvtoVAZ recorded a 12 per cent sales increase last year, delivering 634,000 vehicles.

The boost has been pinned on the firm, which is 25 per cent owned by Renault, benefitting from a recovering economy and a government scrappage scheme.

Overall Russian car sales were up 36 per cent at 2.65 million in 2011, according to the Association of European Businesses (AEB).

Russia car sales forecast up 12 pct in 2012 (12/01/12)

Sales of new cars in Russia will increase 12 per cent in 2012, according to the AEB.

Volkswagen, BMW Post 2011 European Gains as Region’s Sales Drop (17/01/12)

VW, BMW and Daimler all benefitted from a strong demand in Germany, the only one of Europe's big five auto markets to see sales rise in 2011.

BMW hit record global deliveries thanks to a 7.7 per cent rise in European sales, while VW increased sales 7.8 per cent.

Daimler, which own Mercedes-Benz, reported a more modest 0.4 per cent gain in 2011.

Registrations across Europe as a whole fell 1.4 per cent last year to 13.6 million vehicles.

Spain led the decline with an 18 per cent drop in sales, while Italy posted similarly weak figures, down 11 per cent from 2010.

Deliveries fell 4.4 per cent in the UK and 2.1 per cent in France. Sales in Germany rose 8.8 per cent on the year.

PSA Peugeot Citroen recorded an 8.8 per cent drop in European sales, Renault an 8.1 per cent fall and Fiat SpA a 12 per cent decline.

Japan auto lobby eyes 900,000 unit tailwind from incentives (20/01/11)

Government incentives to encourage people to buy clean cars in Japan could drive sales up by 900,000 units in the next financial year, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga said.

The country's auto industry is badly in need of a boost following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, which severely affected both production and demand.

U.S. Clean Diesel Auto Sales Soar To 27 Percent Increase In 2011 (10/01/12)

Sales of new clean diesel automobiles in the US increased 27.4 per cent in 2011 over 2010, according to data from HybridCars.Com and market research firm Baum and Associates.

"Without a doubt, 2011 was a key year for the industry's effort to re-establish clean diesel automobiles in the United States," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

"This 27 per cent increase in annual sales is a strong sign that American drivers are understanding the benefits of new clean diesel technology in terms of better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions."

New federal fuel efficiency standards requiring a 54.5 mpg average by 2025 will also boost clean diesel auto sales, he added.

© Adfero Ltd

Fuel cell cars get UK govt backing

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The UK government has unveiled a new scheme today (January 18th), backed by the auto industry and Johnson Matthey, that will drive forward the development of fuel cell cars.

UK H2 Mobility, which is being supported by Toyota, General Motors, Daimler and Hyundai, will produce a plan of action to make fuel cell vehicles commercially available on a large scale by 2015.

It will look at the case for low carbon transport, the specific investments required and identify what is needed to make the UK a world leader in fuel cell developments.

"Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are increasingly being recognised as one of the viable options as we move to a lower carbon motoring future," said business minister Mark Prisk.

"They are highly efficient, can be fuelled in minutes, travel an equivalent range to a conventional combustion engine, and have zero tail-pipe emissions."

He explained that the UK is both an early market for low-emission vehicles and has a number of "world-class" companies developing new engines using hydrogen fuel cell technology.

"UKH2Mobility will bring together industry expertise to establish the UK as a serious global player in the manufacture and use of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure," the minister added.

Germany launched a similar scheme in 2009, while both Japan and California have initiatives in place to support fuel cell technology.

The UK project's supporters include Johnson Matthey, one the world's leading manufacturers of catalytic convertors for cars and components for fuel cells.

Other backers include gas company Air Liquide, Scottish and Southern Energy, Air Products, BOC, ITM Power, Tata and Nissan.

Jerry Hardcastle, vice-president for vehicle design and development at Nissan, belives the scheme will "lay many of the foundations for the commercial deployment of hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles which could represent a large segment of the UK market in the coming years".

The government is committing £400 million to support low-emission vehicles, including fuel cell cars.

Schemes include the £5,000 plug-in car grant, which the government says is also applicable to fuel cell vehicles.

Car makers have been investing heavily in fuel cells recently with several firms unveiling models.

General Motors, for example, has put $2 billion into research and development and will introduce fuel cell vehicles in Europe and the US by 2016.

The participating companies and government departments will meet over the coming months and draw up an action plan to develop hydrogen fuel cell cars by the end of the year.

Sources:

New Government and cross industry programme to make hydrogen powered travel in the UK a reality (18/01/12)

Hydrogen cell cars move to fast lane (17/01/12)

© Adfero Ltd

Car Sales Roundup December 2011

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

UPDATE 2-German car sales accelerate 6.1 percent in December (03/01/12)

Sales of new cars in Germany rose 6.1 per cent in December, taking the full year's growth to 8.8 per cent, according to national motor vehicle authority KBA.

Domestic manufacturers VW and BMW held onto their dominance of the market, accounting for 20 per cent and 11.2 per cent respectively.

Toyota and Kia expanded their market share in Germany, while Ford, Renault and Fiat saw theirs contract.

"Germany's car market was more stable in 2011 than many expected," automotive association VDA President Matthias Wissmann noted.

Car Sales Fall Sharply in France and Spain (03/01/11)

New car sales in France and Spain plummeted last month as fears in the eurozone continue to drive down demand for vehicles.

France registered 18 per cent fewer cars in December than the same month a year earlier, while Spain's auto market contracted by 16.9 per cent.

Italian new car sales down 15.3 pct in Dec-Federauto (02/01/12)

Italy's car market slipped sharply in December, with deliveries down 15.3 per cent to 111,211.

New car sales for the year stood at just under 1.75 million units, down 10.8 per cent from 2010.

Automakers see slower U.S. sales growth in 2012 (04/01/12)

US sales at Chrysler and Volkswagen rose by over a third in December, at 37 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively.

Ford saw gains of ten per cent while GM posted a near five per cent rise in sales in the final month of the year.
UPDATE 2-Japan Dec car sales jump, 2011 total still poor (05/01/12)

Car sales in Japan rose by more than 20 per cent for the third month in a row in December.

Automobile deliveries last month, excluding those of 660cc minivehicles, rose 23.5 per from a year earlier to 221,960 vehicles, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association revealed.

Sales of Toyota cars, excluding its luxury Lexus brand, were up 22 per cent, while Nissan saw deliveries rise by over 37 per cent.

Honda, which was the worst affected car maker by the Thai floods, reported a 6.3 per cent gain.

UK new car sales down 3.7 pct yy in Dec – SMMT (06/01/12)

New car sales in the UK fell by 3.7 per cent year-on-year in December to 119,188 vehicles, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

"Weak economic growth will make trading conditions tough in 2012," said SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt.

"Business and consumer confidence will be the key to a successful year, so it will be important that government delivers on its growth strategy and helps to resolve instability in the eurozone."

© Adfero Ltd