Volvo Penta has developed an electric driveline for leading fire service vehicle manufacturer Rosenbauer’s pioneering fire truck, enabling a new solution with zero exhaust emissions and significantly reduced noise levels. The truck is currently undergoing intensive testing and will soon begin real-world customer testing with fire departments in Berlin, Amsterdam... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG is pushing forward with series production of fuel cells with Daimler Truck Fuel Cell GmbH & Co. KG. Over the past ten years, experts from Daimler have built up extensive know-how in this field and have developed production methods and processes. In close cooperation with their colleagues... Read more →

Truck manufacturer Navistar Inc. has paid $2 million to resolve allegations that it altered heavy-duty vehicle engines from their certified design, potentially causing excess diesel emissions and negatively impacting air quality. The Illinois-based company modified its vehicle calibrations from their certified design through “running changes” in the engines of its... Read more →

The Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA) released a new report quantifying a county level MOVES emissions inventory in the continental US (CONUS) 48 states and subsequent air quality modeling report of a potential scenario should the US EPA Cleaner Trucks Initiative (CTI) be finalized as a national program at... Read more →

Hyliion Inc., a developer of electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles, launched its Hypertruck Electric Range Extender (ERX), a long-haul, natural-gas series-hybrid electric powertrain. The launch of the Hypertruck ERX is anchored by Agility, one of the world’s leading logistics companies with $5.2 billion in revenue and offices... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board has adopted a first-in-the-world rule—the Advanced Clean Trucks(earlier post)—requiring truck manufacturers to transition from diesel trucks and vans (Class 2b to Class 8) to electric zero-emission trucks beginning in 2024. By 2045, every new truck sold in California will be zero-emission. The proposed regulation has... Read more →

Cummins Inc. will form a joint venture with NPROXX, a designer, developer and manufacturer of Type 4 pressure vessels for the storage of hydrogen under high pressure, for hydrogen storage tanks. The joint venture will continue under the name NPROXX. NPROXX was formed in 2018 in a split from EMS,... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz reports that it already has definitive orders for more than 60 fully-electric eCitaro G articulated buses, with first deliveries slated for later this year. (Earlier post.) Shortly after its market launch, the new articulated bus will be available with new battery technologies. This includes being the first bus in... Read more →

Class 8 electric powertrain company Hylion intends to merge with Tortoise Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: SHLL), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company with a strategic focus on the energy sector and decarbonizing commercial transportation in North America. Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined entity will be named Hyliion... Read more →

Ballard Power Systems has received follow-on purchase orders for 15 of its 85 kW heavy-duty FCveloCity-HD fuel cell modules from Wrightbus, a leading bus OEM and Ballard partner headquartered in Northern Ireland, to power Fuel Cell Electric Buses (FCEBs) planned for deployment in the UK. Wrightbus was recently re-capitalized by... Read more →

Volvo Trucks North America has deployed its first pilot VNR Electric truck in Southern California as part of the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project—a collaboration with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) and 13 other organizations to develop a blueprint to successfully... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board announced that the first installment of $35 million in VW Environmental Mitigation Trust funding for Zero-Emission Freight and Marine Projects throughout California is now available via a competitive solicitation. A second solicitation offering an additional $35 million is expected to be released in mid-2022. The... Read more →

The West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative, a study commissioned by a collaboration among nine electric utilities and two agencies representing more than two dozen municipal utilities, recommends adding electric vehicle charging for freight haulers and delivery trucks at 50-mile intervals along Interstate 5 and adjoining highways. Sponsors of the... Read more →

New research from Energy Innovation and the Environmental Defense Fund calculates that California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule proposal—the first of its kind in the US—will generate between $7-$12 billion in overall economic savings by 2040 and would also help create a market for up to 500,000 new electric trucks across... Read more →

Australian startup H2X has launched with the mission of producing a range of hydrogen-powered hybrid vehicles targeting different applications and markets. The company was founded by a well-experienced team from the automotive and new energy field, which has been working together over more than 5 years. The core of the... Read more →

The weight of heavy-duty trucks as they drive causes a slight deflection in the road surface under them—enough of a dip to make a difference to the trucks’ overall fuel efficiency (deflection-induced pavement-vehicle interaction). Now, a study by MIT researchers suggests that small changes in roadway paving practices could reduce... Read more →

South Australian manufacturer Hydrogen Direct Injection’s (HYDI) systems have been in various stages of development and testing since 2013 but are now on the verge of commercialization following encouraging testing results from the University of South Australia. The independent testing on a generator showed the unit reduced diesel consumption in... Read more →

Wenco, a wholly owned subsidiary company of Hitachi Construction Machinery, and Oxbotica have signed an MOU to develop a world-first Open Autonomy solution for mining. Initial trials are underway, and the companies are actively recruiting mining partners with appropriate testing grounds. The industry-leading system will provide customers flexibility and efficiency... Read more →

Toyota Motor and five Chinese OEMs—China FAW Corporation Limited (FAW); Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM); Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group); Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. (BAIC Group); and Beijing SinoHytec Co., Ltd.—signed a joint venture agreement for the establishment of United Fuel Cell System R&D (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (FCRD).... Read more →

The California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will host a remote-access workshop to solicit feedback on the forthcoming, first of its kind, joint solicitation for the Zero-Emission Drayage Truck and Infrastructure Pilot Project. This is a combined effort, with funding provided by CEC’s Clean Transportation... Read more →

The number of available and announced models of zero-emission trucks, buses and off-road equipment in the United States and Canada is on track to rise nearly 78% by the end of 2020 compared to year-end 2019, according to the Zero-Emission Technology Inventory (ZETI), a product of CALSTART’s Global Commercial Vehicle... Read more →

Engineering company Gaussin and energy major Total are jointly developing the first full electric aircraft refueler transporter (ART FULL ELEC). Planned for the Airbus industrial site in Toulouse, this prototype will be capable of towing two fuel tankers, with a fuel capacity of 30 tons each. Delivery is expected at... Read more →

Agility Fuel Solutions (Agility), a leading global provider of clean fuel solutions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, introduced the new fifth-generation ProRail CNG fuel system. ProRail systems are installed on one or both sides of the vehicle’s frame rail. Gen5 ProRail installed on a Peterbilt 567. Since the ProRail... Read more →

Lightning Systems, a leading developer of zero-emission powertrains, has received reaccreditation under bp’s Advancing Low Carbon (ALC) program. The ALC program was created by bp to encourage bp and its partners to identify lower carbon opportunities. Activities within the program include everything from low carbon products to global research initiatives... Read more →

ABB has entered into an agreement with Norway’s largest grocery wholesaler ASKO, and its owner NorgesGruppen, to supply charging infrastructure for its growing fleet of electric trucks. Currently, ASKO has 600 trucks on the road each day and has a goal to achieve zero emissions distribution of groceries by 2026.... Read more →

Zero-emission powertrains developer Lightning Systems announced Lightning Mobile, a mobile direct current fast charger (DCFC) for electric vehicles. Equipped with 192 kWh of high-energy-density, liquid-cooled DC battery storage in a package designed to be installed in a vehicle or trailer for mobile deployment, Lightning Mobile can be deployed rapidly to... Read more →

In March 2020, demand for new commercial vehicles fell by 47.3% across the EU, as measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 lead to the closure of dealerships, according to the ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association). Each vehicle segment was strongly affected by the fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak and... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group have signed a preliminary non-binding agreement to establish a new joint venture. The intention is to develop, produce and commercialize fuel cell systems for heavy-duty vehicle applications and other use cases. Daimler will consolidate all its current fuel cell activities in the joint... Read more →

ABB will supply high voltage-capable chargers for the Volvo LIGHTS project. (Earlier post.) ABB’s charging systems can charge any electric vehicle (EV) battery at up to 920 VDC, enabling faster charge times and greater commercial fleet utilization for this project. The Volvo LIGHTS project is a partnership among the Volvo... Read more →

IHS Markit is forecasting that global commercial vehicle production (GVW 4-8) volumes in 2020 compared to 2019 will be down 22% (more than 650,000 units) to 2.6 million units, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual regional forecasts are set to a downtrend, and supply chain impacts are being... Read more →

A 27-tonne hydrogen fuel cell rigid truck built by VDL started its first demonstration with BREYTNER as part of the EU-funded H2-Share project in Schelluinen, the Netherlands. (Earlier post.) Wystrach GmbH built a low-energy mobile hydrogen refueler to accompany the truck on its demonstration sites. This hydrogen truck is unique... Read more →

In a three-year Business Finland BioFlex project, VTT—the Finnish state-owned research agency—and partners are exploring how suitable fuel oils made from biomass and waste plastics are for power plants and ship diesel engines. The aim is to determine the most ecologically and economically sustainable way to replace fossil fuels. We... Read more →

As part of a field test comprising four comparable vehicles, the first DAF CF Electric 6x2 refuse collection truck has entered operations with Dutch public waste disposal firm ROVA. The vehicle features a zero-emission VDL electric powertrain alongside a fully electric VDL refuse collection superstructure. The vehicle will be operated... Read more →

Loop Energy, a provider of fuel-cell-electric range-extenders for medium- and heavy-duty transport applications, has received an additional cash investment from Cummins Inc. The further investment was made following Loop’s successful completion of milestone requirements established at the time of Cummins initial investment in September 2019. (Earlier post.) Loop Energy fuel-cell... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation and Hino Motors, Ltd. have agreed to develop a heavy-duty fuel cell truck jointly, and to proceed with initiatives toward its practical use through verification tests and other means. The heavy-duty fuel cell truck in this joint development project is based on Hino Profia, and is being... Read more →

European battery manufacturer Northvolt has delivered its largest order of lithium-ion battery systems to date to mining and infrastructure industries supplier Epiroc. Epiroc Boltec M Battery rock bolting rig, right side view. Source: Epiroc. Northvolt has partnered with Epiroc for more than two years and has developed a platform of... Read more →

Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies is expanding its Endurant automated transmission lineup with the introduction of the all-new Endurant XD series. The Eaton Cummins Endurant XD series are purpose-built, high-performance automated transmissions designed for on-highway applications with high gross combined weight ratings, such as double and triple trailer trucks, and... Read more →

UPS has begun testing the suitability and durability of Gaussin electric vehicles, which also have autonomous driving capability, to move semi-trailers and containers on the grounds of UPS’ advanced-technology London Hub. During the initial phase of the test, UPS will operate the electric vehicles (Trailer and Swap Body Mover, TSBM)—known... Read more →

Rolls-Royce and ASI Mining have agreed to ensure compatibility of MTU engines and ASI’s Mobius command and control software for autonomous vehicles. The two partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding enabling Rolls-Royce to offer autonomous-compatible, Mobius-ready MTU engine solutions for equipment in a wide range of mining applications. With... Read more →

Renault Trucks is beginning serial production of its D and D Wide Z.E. electric trucks (earlier post) in its Blainville-sur-Orne plant in Normandy. The factory, which has been operating since 1957, specializes in the production of medium-duty vehicles and truck cabins; 240 cabins are made every day and 72 distribution... Read more →

EV developer Faraday Future and US Hybrid Corporation are collaborating to advance the use of FF’s electric propulsion system in new energy products currently under development by US Hybrid. FF is committed to the development of EV solutions along with US Hybrid to support California’s drive towards zero emissions for... Read more →

Nikola Corporation, a designer and developer of BEV and FCEV Class 8 trucks is executing a reverse merger with VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. to create a company focused on the development of next generation smart transportation. VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq:VTIQ) is a $230-million publicly traded Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) formed... Read more →

Daimler Trucks has launched additional electric Freightliner trucks for customer testing in North America. The Customer Experience (CX) fleet from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) consists of six heavy-duty Freightliner eCascadia and two medium-duty Freightliner eM2 106. Over a period of 22 months, 14 different customers from a range of... Read more →

For the first time, some US Postal Service packages are being delivered via emission-reducing propane autogas trucks. McAbee Trucking, a freight shipping and trucking company based in Blacksburg, SC, purchased eight Ford F-750 delivery trucks fueled by propane autogas, a domestically produced, clean and economical alternative fuel. The vehicles are... Read more →

BAE Systems has been selected by Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and the Republic of Ireland’s National Transport Authority (NTA) to supply up to 600 electric power and propulsion systems for its new fleet of buses in Ireland. The selection includes an initial order for 100 systems. The Series-ER system (earlier... Read more →

ElectReon has successfully wirelessly charged a fully electric 40-ton truck and trailer at a test facility in Sweden. The next step will be to charge the truck through dynamic wireless power transfer on a public road in Gotland, Sweden. The Smartroad Gotland project is the first wireless electric road system... Read more →

The Netherlands-based Terberg is introducing a new generation of electric vehicles with new EV technology, including the YT203-EV terminal tractor (which replaces the older YT202-EV) and the BC202-EV body carrier. New generation YT203-EV The performance of the new electric drive system is comparable with that of diesel engines and the... Read more →

SuperTurbo Technologies Inc. (formerly VanDyne SuperTurbo) has appointed Ricardo Performance Products to support the first phase of commercial industrialization of the SuperTurbo system—a novel planetary traction drive that enables high speed power transfer to and from a turbocharger shaft, offering significant driveability and fuel efficiency benefits for large trucks. The... Read more →

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE)—a non-profit organization dedicated to doubling the freight efficiency of North American goods movement—has determined that regional trucking operations are well suited to be early adopters of electric trucks. It is also a rather large segment of the market with sufficient scale to... Read more →

Hyliion Inc. will be providing three vehicles to Penske Truck Leasing, all of which will incorporate its 6X4HE Class 8 hybrid system. (Earlier post.) The solution was developed in partnership with Dana Inc., whose Spicer Electrified components are part of the e-Powertrain solution. The Hyliion 6X4HE’s modular design allows for... Read more →