New Holland harvester deal…Hertz in Europe…Nissan's Diesel SUV…Zexek gasoline injection systems - New Holland N.V. sells 200 harvesters, Hertz expands European operations, Nissan Motors to produce new sport utility vehicle, Zexel Corp to make fuel injection systems for gasoline engines

Diesel Progress North American Edition, June, 1998 by Chuck Kondor

New Holland N.V. said it has sold more than 200 model TX combine harvesters to Bashimpex in the Bashkortostan Republic of the Russian Federation. The combines will be built in New Holland's Zedelgem, Belgium, facility and delivery is expected prior to the 1998 harvest season. The agreement, which includes attachments, spare parts and service development, is said to be worth up to $35 million.

Proving that the heavy-duty equipment rental world has truly gone global, Hertz Corp., Park Ridge, N.J., has again expanded in Europe. Hertz, which is one of the largest construction and industrial equipment rental companies, has acquired the Boireau Group of Companies, a French equipment rental concern, with 26 locations in France and 1997 revenues of $25 million. Terms were not announced but the acquisition was reportedly made for cash and assumed debt. Hertz now has 43 equipment rental outlets in France and Spain, 142 in the U.S., and six in Canada.

Nissan Motor Co. has announced that it will produce a new SUV with an innovative direct-injection diesel engine at is Tochigi Prefecture plant, with a release scheduled for this month, according to the company. Nissan aims to raise the utilization of the plant, which makes upscale sedans. The vehicle will be assembled on the facility's second production line, bringing its operations rate to 100 percent with combined monthly output of 10,000 units.

Zexel Corp., a Japanese manufacturer of fuel injection systems for diesel engines, plans to begin developing, manufacturing and selling fuel injection systems for gasoline engines. The company, which supplies parts to Unisia Jecs Corp., a Nissan Motor Co. affiliate, plans to broaden that supply relationship to include parts such as injectors for high-pressure gasoline injection systems. Zexel also plans to work jointly with Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany to develop high-pressure fuel-injection systems for direct-injection engines. The companies aim to commercialize the systems within two to three years.

New Holland Tractors, New Delhi, India, a unit of New Holland N.V., has launched the Ford 5630, its first agricultural tractor specifically designed for India, the company said. Earlier, New Holland had a technology-sharing agreement with India's Escorts group, which marketed the Ford range of tractors in the Indian market, but later established its own manufacturing unit near New Delhi. The factory is its 19th manufacturing plant, and will have the capacity to produce 35,000 ag tractors a year, according to the company.

Dana Corp. has acquired a majority stake in Nakata S.A. Industria e Comercio of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dana said its Parish Produtos Industriais S.A. unit will acquire a controlling interest from the founding Nakata family on completion of a tender offer for the publicly held preference shares of Nakata. Nakata, which had sales of $110 million in 1997, makes suspension components including tie rods, ball joints and shock absorbers.

Nissan Motors' U.K. manufacturing facility will add a diesel option to its Micra compact vehicle, which is known in Japan as the March. The new vehicle will use a 1.5 L diesel engine manufactured by Peugeot of France. Nissan has added the diesel option in response to the high demand for such products in Europe. The company previously offered a diesel-powered Primera with a 2 L engine, but the Micra is its first such offering in a compact of less than 2 L. Nissan said it planned to sell about 10,000 units annually.

Daimler-Benz has established five regional headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region. The new sites - in Singapore, Bangkok, Japan, Beijing and Melbourne - will engineer the company's expansion in the region, Daimler-Benz said.

PT Mabua Detroit Diesel, Jakarta, Indonesia, Jupiter International Resources, of Canada, and U.S.-based Detroit Diesel Corp., have announced an agreement to establish a joint venture corporation to pursue power generation and associated equipment rental or leasing opportunities in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Jupiter and PT Mabua Detroit Diesel will fund the venture, which will initially operate from the Jakarta facilities of PT Mabua Detroit Diesel and be managed by a Jupiter executive. PT Mabua Detroit Diesel is the central distribution and service center for Detroit Diesel product in Indonesia and the surrounding area.

Germany's KKK (Kuhnle Kopp & Kausch) reported that the first KO3 turbochargers have been shipped for the French Renault F9Q-730, 1.9 L, direct-injection diesel engine. The four-cylinder engine is rated 96 hp with a peak torque of 147.3 ft.lb. and will power the Megane Scenic cars. KKK said approximately 75,000 units would be shipped in 1998.

Information for this report is taken from industry sources and Diesel Progress International Edition. For up-to-the-minute international news, as well as new products and technology, visit The Source Diesel Progress On-Line: www.dieselpub.com