Electric vehicle industry experts and scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are testing and evaluating the compatibility of inlet and connectors for a new high-power charging standard for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles called the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). MCS will facilitate charging capacity up to 3.75MW—seven times higher... Read more →

Allison Transmission has been selected by Hino Trucks as its e-Axle development partner for Class 6, 7 and 8 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) trucks. The two companies have signed the framework behind a comprehensive strategic Joint Collaboration Agreement (JCA) that builds on the long-standing partnership Allison and Hino share in... Read more →

Allison Transmission, a leading designer and manufacturer of conventional, electric hybrid and fully electric vehicle propulsion solutions, has added eGen Power 100S and 130D e-Axles to its fully electric portfolio of propulsion solutions. Allison first launched its eGen Power 100D in 2020 and has since spent time validating and, where... Read more →

Electrify America and NFI Industries announced plans for the US’ single largest charging infrastructure project to support heavy-duty electric trucks, with 34 ultra-fast DC chargers slated for completion by December 2023. As the largest open DC fast charging network in the US, Electrify America was selected to deploy charging solutions... Read more →

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) is leading a landmark effort along with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) to deploy 100 battery-electric regional haul and drayage trucks across California. The battery-electric trucks will be deployed through a partnership with... Read more →

Hino Trucks revealed its first Class 8 Hino XL8 prototype powered by a hydrogen fuel cell electric drivetrain, at the 2021 ACT Expo in Long Beach, California. The truck combines a Toyota hydrogen fuel cell electric drive system in the XL Series chassis. (earlier post) From our Project Z announcement... Read more →

Hexagon Purus and Ballard Power Systems are collaborating to produce Class 6 & 7 Fuel Cell Electric Trucks powered by Hexagon Purus’ turnkey electric drivetrain and hydrogen storage system solutions and Ballard’s fuel cell module. The companies introduced a Class 6 prototype at the ACT Expo in Long Beach. This... Read more →

Wrightspeed and Matthews Specialty Vehicles are teaming up to develop, convert, and deliver battery-powered and range-extended electric buses, trucks, and specialty vehicles with industry-leading performance, efficiency, and total cost of ownership. The companies are currently fulfilling their first order from Allen Global Enterprises (AGE) to develop and produce 30 tactical... Read more →

Starting in 2023, a dedicated line at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) will begin assembling integrated dual fuel cell (FC) modules destined for use in hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty commercial trucks. The FC modules bring Toyota’s electrification strategy further into focus as it will allow truck manufacturers to incorporate emissions-free fuel cell... Read more →

FTXT Energy Technology, a Great Wall Motor (GWM) subsidiary, along with partners Dayun, Dongfeng and Foton, has successfully delivered a fleet of 100 hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks for the Xiong’an New Area construction project in Hebei Province, China. The heavy trucks are fitted with high-power 111 kW hydrogen fuel... Read more →

Volta Trucks has started engineering evaluation and development testing of the first prototype Volta Zero at HORIBA MIRA in Nuneaton, UK. The start of testing follows soon after the reveal of the first prototype chassis of the Volta Zero—the first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne commercial vehicle designed specifically for inner city... Read more →

The Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Freight Trial (SHyFT), led by Arcola Energy, has secured funding from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Road Freight program for the design of a trial of hydrogen fuel cell trucks, supported by a green hydrogen refueling infrastructure in Scotland. The project will asses the... Read more →

The California Energy Commission has approved a 4-million grant to Equilon Enterprises LLC (dba Shell Oil Products US) to develop and demonstrate the first multi-modal hydrogen refueling station in California. The multi-modal hydrogen refueling station will serve hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered on-road heavy-duty vehicles and locomotives at the Port of West Sacramento and... Read more →

Power management company Eaton’s Vehicle Group has developed a series of 48-volt technologies to assist its global on- and off-highway commercial vehicle customers transitioning from traditional 12- and 24-volt vehicle systems to systems that include 48-volt architecture. These 48-volt systems can power new, advanced energy-consuming components and can help reduce... Read more →

Embark Trucks Inc., a developer of autonomous technology for the trucking industry, will use NVIDIA DRIVE autonomous vehicle compute platform solutions to power the Embark Universal Interface (EUI) and the Embark Driver software. By collaborating with NVIDIA and adopting the DRIVE platform, Embark intends to equip its test fleet with... Read more →

Plus (formerly Plus.ai), a global provider of self-driving truck technology, has completed a driverless Level 4 truck demonstration on a highway. The driverless semi truck was operated using Plus’s Level 4 autonomous driving technology, without a safety driver, teleoperator, or any other forms of human intervention. This represents a significant... Read more →

Loop Energy, a developer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell-based solutions, and Técnicas Reunidas (TR), a global provider of services for investors in hydrogen infrastructure based in Madrid, Spain, have entered a joint market development agreement to secure future opportunities that require both TR’s hydrogen know-how and Loop Energy’s fuel... Read more →

The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) released a new foundational document for heavy-duty class 8 fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs), “Fuel Cell Electric Trucks: A Vision for Freight Movement in California and Beyond,” that envisions 70,000 trucks supported by 200 heavy-duty truck stations by 2035. The vision emphasizes the need... Read more →

Komatsu and its mining customers Rio Tinto, BHP, Codelco and Boliden have formed the Komatsu Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Alliance. Through the alliance framework, Komatsu’s GHG partners will work directly with Komatsu to collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure.... Read more →

Following intensive talks, Daimler Truck AG and the Works Council have agreed that the three powertrain sites in Gaggenau, Kassel and Mannheim will specialize in different components for electrified drives. In the future, they will drive the global production of battery-electric and hydrogen-based drive systems in a production and technology... Read more →

As part of its sustainability initiative, Tata Steel is partnering with an Indian start-up to deploy electric trucks for its steel transportin India. This marks the first use of EVs by any steel producer in the country for transportation of finished steel. The electric trucks feature a 230.4 kWh Lithium-ion... Read more →

Air Products and Cummins signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work together to accelerate the integration of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Cummins will provide hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains integrated into selected OEM partners’ heavy-duty trucks for Air Products, as Air Products begins... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company will deploy the company’s latest hydrogen fuel cell electric heavy-duty trucks in California in two publicly funded projects to improve the air quality in the region. The demo trucks that Hyundai will bring into the United States are developed based on XCIENT Fuel Cell, the world’s first... Read more →

Hyzon Motors Inc., a global supplier of hydrogen fuel-cell-powered commercial vehicles, has developed new onboard hydrogen storage system technology that it says is capable of reducing the weight and manufacturing cost of commercial vehicles powered by Hyzon’s hydrogen fuel cells. The new patent-pending onboard hydrogen storage system technology integrates lightweight... Read more →

Rolls-Royce Power Systems has outlined its road map for climate neutrality: Net Zero@Power Systems. By 2030, the Rolls-Royce business unit is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35% compared to its 2019 level through the use of new net zero and zero carbon technologies. This near-term target plays a significant... Read more →

XL Fleet Corp. announced a battery and power electronics development and supply agreement and an investment in eNow, Inc., a provider of solar and battery power systems that enable fully-electric Transport Refrigeration Units (eTRUs) for Class 8 commercial trailers. Under the terms of the agreement, XL Fleet will supply battery... Read more →

Hyzon Motors, a global supplier of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, announced a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and to supply 20 refuse collection vehicles (RCV) together with Superior Pak, an Australian manufacturer of waste-handling equipment. The companies aim to deliver a zero-emissions, high-performance side-lift garbage truck, capable of undertaking the 1500-2000... Read more →

FEV recently entered a long-term agreement with electrified powertrain systems provider Hyliion, to support design, development, integration and production validation of Hyliion’s Electric Range Extender (ERX) for Class 8 tractor-trailer applications. The Hyliion Hypertruck ERX powertrain utilizes a propulsion system combining a renewable natural gas (RNG)-fueled on-board generator paired with... Read more →

Hyzon Motors (earlier post) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TotalEnergies that reinforces the two companies’ shared commitment to evaluate and develop hydrogen refueling and vehicle supply solutions for long-haul transport to customers across Europe. Hyzon and TotalEnergies aim to make it easier for fleet owners to transition to... Read more →

Brazil-based TUPY, a specialist of casting and machining of highly engineered structural components; Westport Fuel Systems; AVL List GmbH are collaborating to develop a highly efficient hydrogen (H2) internal combustion engine (ICE) for heavy goods transportation. The direct collaboration aims at combining advanced material and casting technologies with the latest... Read more →

Leading commercial vehicle manufacturers Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and the TRATON GROUP have signed a non-binding agreement to install and operate a high-performance public charging network for battery-electric heavy-duty long-haul trucks and coaches across Europe. The joint aim is to initiate and accelerate the build-up of charging infrastructure to enhance... Read more →

Electrify America selected Long Beach and the Wilmington neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles as its second “Green City” investment. The company previously announced this recommendation as part of its broader plan to invest $200 million in California Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure and education programs in the state... Read more →

A consortium of Clean Air Power and Freightliner has secured almost £0.4 million (US$0.55 million) of government funding to develop a biogas and hydrogen dual-fuel solution for the Class 66 locomotive. The technology is one of the 30 winners of the latest round of the First of a Kind (FOAK)... Read more →

Using wind tunnel measurements and computational fluid dynamics simulations, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) engineers have demonstrated that aerodynamically integrated vehicle shapes decrease body-axis drag in a crosswind, creating large negative front pressures that effectively “pull” the vehicle forward against the wind, much like a sailboat. An open-access paper on... Read more →

Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility’s fleet of XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks has collectively exceeded 1 million kilometers of driving in 11 months of service in Switzerland. During that time, the fleet has reduced CO2 emissions by more than an estimated 630 tons, compared to diesel-powered vehicles. Since rolling onto Swiss roads last... Read more →

Volvo Penta has begun production of bespoke electric drivelines for leading fire service vehicle manufacturer Rosenbauer’s pioneering fire truck, named “Revolutionary Technology” (RT). (Earlier post.) We announced our emob partnership with Rosenbauer in 2019, and we have gone from concept to start of production in record time. This is a... Read more →

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) plans to purchase seven Mack LR Electric refuse models, which will operate in each of the city’s boroughs. DSNY took delivery of its first fully electric refuse vehicle, a Mack LR Electric demonstration model, in September 2020, when it began rigorous real-world... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Trucks celebrated the world premiere of its battery-electric eActros for heavy-duty short-radius distribution—its first series-produced electric truck. The standard model of the eActros is planned to roll off the production line in Wörth am Rhein (Germany) from autumn 2021. The findings from the "eActros innovation fleet" which started in... Read more →

Cummins Inc. and Rush Enterprises, Inc. signed a Letter of Intent for Cummins to acquire a 50% equity interest in Momentum Fuel Technologies from Rush Enterprises. Momentum Fuel Technologies delivers the industry’s first complete compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel system solution for Class 6-8 vehicles. A division of Rush Enterprises,... Read more →

MAN Truck & Bus and Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) are jointly testing autonomously driving prototype trucks in real-world applications. The practical test drives at the HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) showed that automation can be integrated efficiently and safely into customers’ actual logistics workflows. German lawmakers recently created... Read more →

BMW i Ventures invested in Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a developer of self-driving long-haul trucking technology. The funds from the BMW i Ventures investment help Kodiak expand its team and fleet, as well as continue to develop its self-driving technology purpose-built for long-haul trucks. Kodiak is led by a team of... Read more →

Smart power electronics company Exro Technologies and Linamar, a tier one supplier, have agreed to develop develop an advanced eAxle for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles utilizing Exro’s Coil Driver technology to improve cost and performance of Linamar’s eAxle product line. (Earlier post.) Coil Driver is a next-generation controller that expands... Read more →

Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in collaboration with two electric utilities, recently examined the causes, costs and lead times of distribution system upgrades anticipated for depot charging of short-haul heavy-duty trucks in the United States. The team also developed synthetic depot charging load profiles for heavy-duty trucks... Read more →

Rio Tinto will deploy the world’s first fully autonomous water trucks at its $2.6-billion Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The new vehicles, primarily used for dust suppression on site, will enhance productivity by enabling mine operations to track water consumption digitally and reduce waste. Rio Tinto... Read more →

ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a growing startup dedicated to the development of clean engine technology (earlier post), secured $2.5 million in additional financing from several investors, including the Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas and Illinois Corn Growers Associations. The new funding will help ClearFlame deploy pilot Class 8 trucks with its patented technology.... Read more →

FCC Medio Ambiente and Irizar will start production of the first 10 Irizar ie urban electric trucks to be used for collection of refuse. Production of these 10 units includes 4×2 and 6×2 of two and three-axle versions. The Irizar ie urban truck incorporates in-house technology developed by the Irizar... Read more →

The Port of Los Angeles and its partners rolled out five new hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and introduced two hydrogen fueling stations. Under the $82.5-million Shore-to-Store (S2S) project, more than a dozen public and private sector partners have teamed up for a 12-month demonstration of the zero-emissions Class... Read more →

The Connecticut General Assembly has passed HB 6688, a bill that imposes a highway use tax (HUT) on every carrier for operating, or causing to be operated, certain heavy, multi-unit motor vehicles (Class 8-13) on any highway (i.e., not just limited-access highways) in the state. The bill now heads to... Read more →

Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (NFI), unveiled its first electric three-axle double deck bus for North America. The Enviro500EV CHARGE is the North American all-electric version of the world’s best-selling double deck bus, and is produced by NFI subsidiary Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL). An electric... Read more →

Oshkosh Corporation’s Fire & Emergency segment unveiled the Volterra platform of electric vehicles with the introduction of two new trucks under the Pierce Manufacturing and Oshkosh Airport Products brands. Oshkosh Corporation has been developing electric products and equipment since the mid-1990s when the Company’s JLG Industries business launched its first... Read more →