Donald vs the POWERTRAIN milieu
At bauma 2025, the echoes of Donald Trump were heard also from the powertrain perspective. The shift from ‘electric only’ to ‘all alternatives’ from 2022 was also felt
Donald and the world of POWERTRAIN. A link that makes no sense? In our opinion, it is not, and we have reported on it in the MAY editorial of POWERTRAIN International.
Donald’s shadow also loomed at bauma
Planet bauma, year 2022: the sentiment is ‘it’s either electric or nothing!’ In the following years, hydrogen rages on. Can you imagine a flood of H2 between halls A1 and A6 pavillions? Not exactly. Before sketching an identikit of the 2025 edition, it should be pointed out that a spectre lurks in the air, armed with a flashy orange-platinum wisp. Yes, is indeed him, Donald Trump, along with the rough profile of his creature, the sharp weapon of extra duties. Will they turn out to be shuriken, the throwing daggers of the ninja warriors, or will they be like boomerangs? Certainly the inhibiting effect has led some companies, including American ones, to review their investment plans in India, so as not to run into the trap of doped prices on American soil. Delaying effect, say anything? We are not referring to “slow motion”… It is the sword of Damocles hanging over the sector. The second inhibiting reflex comes from the Chinese manufacturers. Did you see “The Way of Dragon”? The film (1972) and its performer, Bruce Lee (1940-73), are memories of the past, but it is in the outer spaces of bauma that Chinese deterrence is made explicit. We are not talking about nuclear power, but about LiuGong, Sany, XGMC and the gazillion from the Middle-Kingdom, not to mention the Koreans, aka HD Hyundai, and the Japanese OEMs. They are frightened by the buying campaign among the professionals recruited from Western brands, the state incentives diverted to exports, the massive production capacity and the double-edged link with BYD, CATL and the BEV production chain.
Donald and Powertrain at bauma 2025
But back to the common thread of bauma 2025. It’s not electric, it’s not hydrogen, what is it? It is as difficult as it is agnostic, because the failure of electrification expectations has led industry players to rehabilitate the combustion engines. Cometto and Faymonville with the self-propelled modular trailer, electrified by Scania. Yanmar converted the 4TN101 to hydrogen. And yet… what can be seen in Halls A1- A6 is that the technological gridlock is inducing to buy time, endorsing Diesel and CNG and alternative fuels and battery packs and hydrogen. The restatement of the master key “there is no game changer”. And it emerges that the vectors of this multifaceted transition are the overlords of motion control, such as Danfoss, Parker, Rexroth, component manufacturers such as Bonfiglioli, BorgWarner, Walvoil and those guys who have electric feelings in their blood, Chinese aside, such as ABB, Siemens and ZAPI.
What about in 2028?
What will become of bauma in 2028? We will see where the US administration’s economic retaliation, the diversification of assets (see the divestment of the off-highway side of DANA), the wavering anti-emission formula, the war chessboard (Taiwan?) will lead us.
