Bharat S on LinkedIn: International Women's Day 2024 Doodle - Google Doodles (2024)

The internal combustion engine (ICE) is intrinsically connected to Europe. Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir, a Belgian-French engineer, is credited with producing the first commercially successful ICE in around 1860. Then a German engineer by the name of Nicolaus Otto took it a step further by successfully developing the first modern ICE in 1876.With its foundations and genesis in Europe, the ICE has powered the modern world for nearly 150 years and has allowed for the movement of goods, personnel, and public transportation. But until recently, the ICE appeared to be on its last legs on the continent of its birth.A new law requiring a 100% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from all new passenger and light commercial vehicles looked like a death blow for ICEs. The final approval of the law looked like all but a formality.However, the legislation reached a stalemate at the last moment when Volker Wissing, Germany’s Transport Minister, lodged a last-minute objection with the European Council on the EU-wide ban on the ICE, demanding an exemption for new cars running on climate-neutral e-fuels after 2035.The future of the ICE looked incredibly bleak. With growing global EV sales and governments around the world looking to phase them out and outright ban the sales of vehicles with ICE after 2030-2040, people thought this was the end for ICEs.But, now, it seems like you just can’t write them off so easily. Insight #1In 2021, the worldwide internal combustion engine (ICE) market was approximately worth $58,514.15 billion and is predicted to reach USD 93,615.18 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 6.05% between 2022 and 2029 and showing tremendous growth. It is likely to expand further as demand for passenger and commercial vehicles rises in both established and emerging markets. Electric powertrains are increasingly coupled with ICE to enhance vehicle fuel efficiency, which is driving industry development. The demand for ICE is growing exponentially in industries such as agriculture, construction, mining, and power generation. The global lack of EV infrastructure availability is partly responsible for the ICE market's growth.Insight #2In December 2022, Toyota Motor Corporation. President Akio Toyoda caused a stir when he openly questioned an EV-only strategy in the quest for carbon-neutral automobiles. Continued in the comments due to the character limit in the post...- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -P.S. If you like what you are reading, please consider leaving a like, comment, or reposting this post. This will help my content reach a new audience and also encourage me to keep posting about various business and industry insights.“Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine.” — Elvis PresleyFollow Bharat S for more content like this.

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So... Akira Toriyama just passed away.For all of you wondering who he was, he was the man responsible for creating one of the greatest pieces of fiction in human history — the Dragon Ball franchise.Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Frieza, Cell — these are just a few of the characters created by Toriyama sensei. Many kids of my generation grew up on a stable supply Dragon Ball Z courtesy of Cartoon Network. Back then, none of us knew who this great gentleman was. We didn't care. But we cared deeply about Goku's story. Many of us tried to emulate the Toriyama sensei's characters. They adorned our PC wallpapers, their posters hung on the walls of our rooms, we cried out their attacks when playing with our friends — Kamehameha!!!! — and, we loved every bit of it.Growing up, we still devotedly loved these characters and the franchise. Heck, the reason most of us anime fans are probably because of Toriyama sensei.Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and several other manga and anime loved worldwide would never exist if it weren't for Akira Toriyama sensei and his Dragon Ball franchise.Every life comes to an end. Every person dies. That's nothing new. This post was just to celebrate a person who lived a life that has deeply touched countless people across the world.Rest in peace Toriyama sensei. Oh, how badly I wish the dragon balls were real, so I could go collect them, summon Shenron, and wish you back to life. But that's for "Next time on Dragon Ball Z."#Akiratoriyama

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When talking, reading, or researching about EVs and how China is dominating the global EV market, one company’s name keeps popping up more often than the rest — BYD.Insight #1After surpassing Tesla in late 2023, BYD is now the largest electric automaker in the world. Chances are that you have not even heard of them. BYD, or Build Your Dreams, promotes itself as the biggest car brand you’ve never heard of. And it's very true, at least in the context of sales figures. Tesla sold an impressive 480,000 vehicles in the last quarter of 2023, and BYD sold a whopping 526,000 vehicles for the same period. The company also boasts a staggering 35% market share in China.Talking to the YouTube channel Coldfusion, Elliot Richards, the East Asia correspondent for the Fully Charged show, said, “BYD has been building cars for 20 years. The cars for the last 18 years haven’t been very good. The last three years have really seen a lot of Chinese brands focus on, I think, gimmicks, to be honest with you. I think what we are seeing right now in 2024 is a change in things people really care about, such as efficiency, safety, and the important basics, instead of focusing on the glittery cherry on top bits.”Insight #2BYD has electric shuttle buses, public transportation buses, trucks, and taxis cruising through countless cities globally, and some of their largest plants for these are even in US cities. The company’s influence is expanding rapidly across Latin America and Southeast Asia, reshaping transportation in those regions.Back home in China, they are the number one EV brand. Overseas, BYD leads the sales charts in Israel and Thailand. In Bangkok, BYD’s electric taxis roam the streets in large numbers. The company is also expanding into Mexico, Brazil, and several other Latin American countries, as well as the Middle East. The automaker is scouting potential factory locations in France, Spain, and Germany to establish a presence in Europe. Recently, BYD opened its first factory in Hungary and announced its entry into Europe through “the heart of Europe.”Famously, in 2008, Warren Buffet chose to invest in them over Tesla. Investing $232 million in the then relatively unknown company based on his longtime partner, the late Charlie Munger’s advice.To supply its operations, the company has even built eight enormous ships to transport its cars to global markets.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -P.S. If you like what you are reading, please consider leaving a like, comment, or reposting this post. This will help my content reach a new audience and also encourage me to keep posting about various business and industry insights.Follow Bharat S for more content like this.

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For nearly a century now, Toyota has prided itself on its ability to continuously cut down on the costs of manufacturing its complex, highly engineered vehicles.So when Takero Kato, the head of Toyota’s division tasked with EV production, was shocked after traveling through China in 2018, you knew something was up.Talking to the company’s internal newspaper, Toyota Times, Kato said, “For the first time, I came face to face with the competitiveness of Chinese components. Laying eyes on equipment that I had never seen in Japan and their state-of-the-art manufacturing, I was struck by a sense of crisis.”China and Chinese automakers have asserted dominance in the world’s EV market. According to Statista, in 2022 alone, China produced nearly 5.47 million battery-electric vehicles. In a December 2023 article, Fastmarkets reported that over the January-November period of that year, China had produced 8.43 million EVs, an increase of 34.5% on a yearly basis.Why are China and Chinese brands dominating the EV market? Let’s take a look.Insight #1According to data from Shanghai-based advisory firm Automobility, in 2023, China overtook Japan as the world’s biggest auto exporter. Of the total automobiles exported in 2023 by China, nearly 25% of them were EVs.This is the culmination of a plan nearly two decades in the making. Aiming to shift gears away from combustion engines, China took a serious plunge into EVs in the early 2000s. The strategy? Generous tax breaks and incentives for both EV makers and buyers. A staggering $30 billion tax exemption was announced from 2009 to 2022. And then an additional $97 billion in tax breaks were announced from 2023 to 2027. Additionally, the Chinese government slashed the tax rates for EV makers from the standard 25% to 15%. All of this was enough to start the EV boom. Throw in the removal of license plate restrictions, and EVs are sold like hotcakes in China.These incentives from the Chinese government have allowed Chinese automakers to export their EVs into emerging markets in Latin America and Southeast Asia to grow their businesses. And now, Chinese EV makers are looking to break into Europe and the United States.Insight #2Talking to the Financial Times, Michael Dunne, the CEO of car consultancy Dunne Insights, said, "No one can match BYD on price. Period. Boardrooms in America, Europe, Korea, and Japan are in a state of shock.”Continued in the comments...- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -P.S. - Let me know your thoughts on why China and Chinese car companies are dominating globally. If I have missed something or you want to let me know about some additional information, please leave a comment.“The Chinese car companies are the most competitive car companies in the world. So, I think they will have significant success outside of China depending on what kind of tariffs or trade barriers are established.” - Elon MuskFollow Bharat S for more content like this.

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The EV charging network is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. According to data from research firm Nextmsc, the Indian EV charging market was valued at $449.06 million in 2022, and is projected to grow to $5.95 billion by 2030. That’s an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.7% from 2023-2030. The Indian EV charging sector is populated by startups, established companies, and government organizations all scrambling to meet the growing demands for a robust EV charging network within the country.Let’s look at the top EV charging networks as of now in India:➡ TATA Power: Tata and Tata Power are ubiquitous in India. Tata Power’s electric vehicle charging division goes by the name EZ Charge, and they currently have over 4,800 public and semi-public chargers across 450 cities in India.➡ CHARGE ZONE: Charge Zone, a Gujarat-based startup, currently has 1,750 charging stations and 3,500 charging points across the country. With multiple chargers on the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway and Mumbai-Bangalore Expressway, they have extensively covered highways across the western, northern, and southern parts of the country. Charge Zone aims to build one million charging points by 2030.➡ Ather Energy: Ather says that its Ather Grid is India’s largest two-wheeler fast charging network. As of March 2024, there are over 2000 Ather Grid fast charging stations across 170+ cities in India. The majority of them are located in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Delhi.➡ Magenta Mobility: Mostly known for its fleet of over 800 cargo electric three-wheelers in Bangalore, Mysore, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, Magenta Mobility’s charging station arm named Magenta Chargegrid has coverage of over 1,110 chargers across the country.➡ Glida India: Fortum India's EV charging business, which is now called Glida India, has 311 chargers with 454 charging points across 15 states, six highways, and 20 cities. Unique to others, Glida India provides BEV DC 001 chargers that are ideal for charging electric vehicles with a battery voltage of less than 100V.Boosted by the Indian government's efforts to become carbon neutral by 2070, EVs and EV charging stations play a significant role in achieving this goal. With the Indian economy growing, many more Indians now have disposable income to buy personal vehicles. Increasing the EV charging network within the country can help them choose EVs over vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs) and positively impact the net zero goal of the nation.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“I saw it as a product challenge. You need an electric vehicle which is at par in performance with petrol vehicles. That is the only way people are going to use it.” Tarun Mehta, CEO of Ather EnergyFollow Bharat S for more content like this.

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In 2024 and going further, we are certain that the world is collectively marching towards adopting EVs over vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs). But as discussed in the previous posts, after a boom in the EV market in 2022 and 2023, 2024 seems to be the year when EV sales across the board are slowing down.The slow and tedious growth of the EV charging network has given rise to serious anxiety among EV buyers, contributing massively to the dampening of EV sales.India is a massive market for EVs. Therefore, the same problems that are plaguing the EV market globally persist in India too, such as an inadequate EV charging network, dependence on imports for EV battery-making raw materials, and slowing down EV sales.Let us take a look at the state of the EV market in India.Insight #1According to market research firm Jato Dynamics, electric vehicle (EV) sales grew 112% YoY to 50,284 units during April-September 2023. This shows that the Indian EV market grew alongside its global counterpart. The key barrier to the adoption of EVs or hybrid vehicles is the lack of public charging infrastructure in India. There were a total of 6,586 public charging stations by March 2023, out of which 419 were on National Highways. The highest number of EV charging stations were in Delhi (1845), Karnataka (704), and Maharastra (660).The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) report on ‘Changing Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles’, states that India might require a minimum of 1.32 million charging stations by the end of 2030 to meet the rapid demand for electric vehicles.Speaking on the necessity of accelerating the growth of the EV charging network in India, the CEO of Hero Electric Vehicles India, Sohinder Singh Gill, said, “When it comes to charging infrastructure, there's an immediate and compelling need for acceleration. The stakes are high, as the risk of falling short of our target to achieve a 30% penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 looms large due to this shortfall.”In order to achieve this goal, the Indian government has launched many EV charging infrastructure initiatives. Most notably, the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme provides incentives for EV adoption and charging infrastructure growth. The government has further accelerated EV adoption by setting up the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP), which incentivizes EV purchases.However, the success of these government initiatives for charging infrastructure depends on private sector investment. Insight #2 & #3Continued in comments...- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“It is definitely true that the fundamental enabling technology for electric cars is lithium-ion as a cell chemistry technology. In the absence of that, I don't think it's possible to make an electric car that is competitive with a gasoline car.” - Elon MuskFollow Bharat S for more content like this.

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With global EV sales slowing down, automakers trying to draw new supply chains for battery materials, and established manufacturers looking to nearshore or reshore their factories, the global EV industry is poised to notably change in 2024.All of these were highlighted in yesterday's post: https://lnkd.in/gdutGSjK One of the truths of life is that change is the only constant. These changes in the EV industry are leading to some new developments. Market disruptions like the one we are undergoing often create opportunities that can be capitalized on by vigilant and innovative companies. Come, let's take a look at a few new developments in the EV industry.Insight #1EV makers and automakers are now actively trying to decrease their reliance on China and China-based suppliers for critical raw materials such as cobalt, nickel, and graphite required to manufacture EV batteries.Battery recycling initiatives are one way to achieve this goal.In August 2023, US-based battery recycler Redwood Materials announced it raised over $1 billion in a Series D funding round. The firm planned to use the funds to expand its US battery supply chain, allowing customers to buy recycled battery materials domestically for the first time.Americas Mobility Sector Leader at EY, Steve Patton, said, “I think it’s going to be a massive industry. And if you think about the cost and scarcity of the minerals that we need to get, we have to go do this.”And he is true. According to a report by InsightAce Analytic, the global lithium-ion battery recycling market is predicted to reach $26.7 billion by the year 2031. That’s a CAGR of 18.65% during the forecast period of 2024-2031.Redwood aims to produce 100 GWh of cathode and anode components per year by 2025, which is enough to manufacture battery cells for nearly 1 million EVs annually. The firm is targeting 500 GWh a year by 2030, which adds up to 5 million EVs a year.Insight #2Continued in the comments- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“With all good technologies, there comes a time when buying the alternative no longer makes sense. Think smartphones in the past decade, color TVs in the 1970s, or even gasoline cars in the early 20th century. Predicting the timing of these shifts is difficult, but when it happens, the whole world changes. It’s looking like the 2020s will be the decade of the electric car.” – BloombergFollow Bharat S for more content like this.

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Experts are predicting the automotive industry to experience a very interesting 2024. As it plays out, China and Chinese brands are continuing their global dominance of the EV sector. But the Western world, led by the US, is forging new supply chains which lead away from China. Additionally, they are also trying to decrease their dependence on China-based companies for vital battery-making raw materials.Let’s take a look at how things are poised in the global EV landscape and see what are leading these changes:Insight #1The sales of electric vehicles globally are slowing down.According to Markets and Markets, in the US alone, EV sales in 2024 are expected to grow y-o-y by just 16% compared to the nearly 64% growth seen in 2023. In China, y-o-y growth in 2024 is expected to be 11.1% compared to 2023’s 36.5%.Reduced incentives, limited charging infrastructure, and the saturation of early adopters are the factors leading to these significant hurdles.Because of this, legacy automakers like GM, Ford and others are dialling back on some of their EV production plans.In September 2023, Ford announced it was pausing construction of its $3.5 billion Michigan EV factory, after slow sales of its F-150 Lightning.In an interview, Adam Ragozzino, the Principal Analyst, Batteries & e-Powertrains, Wards Intelligence said, “Ford electrified their F-150 because it was one of the best-selling trucks in the country, maybe the world. But an electric pickup isn’t really what mainstream pickup truck owners wanted. You know the guys working out their truck towing, hauling tools, whatever it is, that doesn’t fit the bill for them.”Electrifying all manners of vehicles surely does not seem to be the way forward for the EV sector. Companies will need to focus of what kind of EVs the market needs.Insight #2In the EV market, China stands tall as a market giant and global influencer, contributing to 60% of worldwide EV sales. Its controlled supply chain, relentless innovation, and growing global presence solidify its leadership.Fuelled by competitive pricing, cutting-edge battery technology, and the growing popularity of Chinese electric car brands in the UK, Europe and Asia, in 2024, China will firmly establish itself as a powerhouse in the EV revolution, both at home and globally.Continued in the comments...- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“Porsche is the last bastion of cars for petrolheads. So when they start making electric cars, you realise the world really is changing.” - Chris HarrisFollow Bharat S for more content like this.

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With my previous posts setting the tone for anime’s global impact and business potential, in this post, I want to discuss anime-related businesses that are profitable and that can be built with relative ease.Insight #1According to the Animation Business and Science Magazine, anime is unlike most intellectual property (IP) businesses and can be termed an “Influential Property” Business.The beginning of this marvellous example of an IP business came in 1963 with the broadcast of the world’s first-ever animated TV series “Astro Boy”. The business influence of “Astro Boy” didn’t stop at those directly related to its broadcast but extended to licensing everything from snacks, stationary and clothing to developing toys based on the series, movie roadshows and manga serialization. This broad use of intellectual property had a synergistic effect that became the irrefutable base for the anime businesses of today. Tezuka’s other series, which were produced as anime following the same format as “Astro Boy” and other anime series in the early days mass invested in in the same way, also experienced great success.This stands true even in modern times. Insight #2A study published by digital entertainment technology company, JetSynthesys found that 83 percent of Indians preferred anime to all other animated content options.Global brands like Gucci, Nike and Dolce Gabbana have their anime merchandise range. However, in India, the sector is still restricted to new-age startups. Recently, the Indian chain of French menswear brand Celio, Celio India, successfully launched clothing in collaboration with Naruto, Pokemon, Attack on Titan.Insight #3According to Meghna Mehta, CEO of Kiaya Accessories, people who buy anime merchandise are emotional customers who have been looking for the products for so long. Still, as there are not many brands that sell anime merchandise, the genre is niche, but the market has great potential.Several startups and makers of licensed products have been seeing growth in the anime merchandise sector in India. Wizplex, which holds all India distribution rights for Bandai Namco, Japan, has been witnessing immense growth in its business.In an interview given to CNBC TV 18 in July 2023, the founder and CEO of Wizplex, Akshat Singhal said, “Our main product is the Banpresto line of Anime figurines produced by Bandai Namco, Japan. For the product 2020, the total business was Rs 2.74 crore. In 2021, we clocked Rs 4.75 crore. For 2022, we have a forecast of Rs 9.02 crore and are on track to achieve that. So, we are witnessing almost 100 per cent growth in the market so far.”Check the comments for something extra. 😁 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -"Life is not a game of luck. If you wanna win, work hard." — No Game No Life, 2014.Follow Bharat S for more content like this.

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