Deutz Italy to take stock of electrification and Stage V
Deutz Italy and electrification Deutz Italy is not simply a subsidiary, it is one of the most productive operating arms in Cologne. In this sense, the impressions we gathered from Roberto Brivio, CEO of Deutz Italy, reflect a trend that does not stop at the Alps. We focused on electrification and Stage V. Batteries, however, […]
Deutz Italy and electrification
Deutz Italy is not simply a subsidiary, it is one of the most productive operating arms in Cologne. In this sense, the impressions we gathered from Roberto Brivio, CEO of Deutz Italy, reflect a trend that does not stop at the Alps. We focused on electrification and Stage V.
Batteries, however, are not absolute novelties…
There are consolidated sectors, such as material handling, which use lead batteries, for reasons of cost and application requirements, such as scrap handling. There are also opportunities linked to the counterweight, which fasters lead-acid batteries, and to the four-hour continuous setting, which allows batteries to be changed during the lunch break, alternating between working and charging the available battery packs.
On forklifts, the power supply is an established reality, while on other applications we are at the prototype stage; everyone talks about small series. Two conditions are needed: a low average load of medium use, and limited peaks of heavy load. In addition, mobility and functionality must be guaranteed: when the distances to be covered are very long, the electrics suffer. It also depends on the car driver and the public incentive.
So, would you make a prediction on the spread of electrification?
I think that, in the field of work machines, the real business is a bit further away than you think. I am not in a position to tell you whether it makes sense to think about 5% or 20% market share in the coming years. To date there is still no economic return, we are still mainly faced with promotional activities, which qualify our research and development capacity. It is still unclear where the profitability and business potential lie, and above all the new business model is still undefined. And this is especially the case with regard to after-sales, as with the thorny question of battery life. We are thinking in terms of work cycles. It certainly makes sense, but when a battery is really flat?
Stage V didn’t increase the costs
Speaking of Stage V, is the impact on costs really as dramatic as some people fear?
Absolutely not. The delta price between Stage IV and Stage V translates into a few percentage points. Obviously, the argument changes for motor pumps, which go from Stage III to Stage V, and in this case the ratio can be from 1 to 2. Motor pumps have always lived the Hamletian doubt whether to be at variable or constant regime and Stage V has finally escaped any doubt, as for mobile generators. Also in this case we are in the complicated phase of managing the regulation. The year 2020 will be a transitional year both for the digestion of the standard and for the exhaustion of the various stocks. From the beginning of 2021, the cards will finally be on the table.
DEUTZ AND ELECTRIFICATION AT VDBUM SEMINAR
