Equipmake has won a contract with First Bus to repower 12 Optare Versa electric buses with its Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED). The cost of repowering the e-buses is less than half the cost of a new one, Equipmake claims.

Škoda customers will have the option to convert their diesel buses to electric, using pepper motion’s electric powertrain ‘etrofit’ kit specifically designed for buses.

The retrofit firm will be offering customers the option to electrify used models of the Actros MP5 range – launched in 2019 as an 18-tonne 4x2 tractor unit – and it will also be producing up to 2,500 units by 2030.

The Used Parts Factory, a 3,000-square-metre plant situated within its Vénissieux site and close to its headquarters, will be used for dismantling end-of-life Renault Trucks vehicles.

First Hydrogen Corp is a new player in the light commercial vehicle segment with ambitious plans for the European market. This month, T&BB spoke to Allan Rushforth, Chief Commercial Officer of First Hydrogen Automotive, about the company’s current and future strategy.

ZF is now offering fleet managers and other stakeholders a real-time AI-based automated decision-making fleet management solution called SCALAR that optimises the efficiency of freight logistics and passenger transportation all in one system. Claiming to set a new industry benchmark, SCALAR brings together advanced digital connectivity and future technologies, including autonomous driving, for mixed fleets.

The electrification specialist retrofitted an Isuzu FRR - complete with a truck-mounted attenuator - with an electric powertrain for Dempsey Wood, making it New Zealand's first fully-electric traffic safety vehicle.

The Night Lock, which DAF claims is 150% stronger than comparable products on the market, will be available as an option for the new XF/XG/XG+ trucks or as a retrofit for older models.

At its event, 'Celebrate the Sun' the German tech firm unveiled a solar-powered retrofit solution, the 'Solar Bus Kit', which is targeted at operators of diesel buses who want to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and save on fuel.

Renault will collaborate with Phoenix Mobility to develop a proof-of-concept retrofit kit for converting Renault Master vans to electric power.

Industrial automation specialist Rockwell will be providing the electrification specialist with augmented reality products that will expedite training and assistance provision to ZEVx's service partners.

The retrofitted fuel-cell electric bus is currently operating in a ten-week test and demonstration programme in two locations in England, as part of a project supported by UK Research and Innovation.