The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to make available locally-produced electric trucks in the Indonesian market under the NTBK brand.

Subject to regulatory approval, the joint venture will be launched in 2024, with both partners pledging to invest EUR300m each over the next three years.

The partners plan to initially invest a combined USD2.64bn to build a facility with a production capacity of 21 gigawatt hours (GWh) of batteries per year for commercial and industrial vehicle applications.

At the ‘Distribution Solutions 2023’ conference organised by the International Foodservice Distributors Association in Fort Worth, Texas between 11-13 September, Utility Trailer presented two trailers – the ‘625 Hybrid’ and ‘655 MultiTemp Hybrid’ – fitted with Schmitz S.CU transport refrigeration units.

The three million-square-foot site is set to be operational in the first half of 2026 with an estimated capacity of up to 45,000 tonnes of cathode active materials (CAM) per year supporting the production of up to 225,000 electric vehicles annually.

Production is to take place at Temsa’s factory in Adana, with a prototype expected by next year and series production towards the end of 2025. Both engineering teams will be working closely together in order to meet these deadlines.

The JV aims to manufacture battery cells for commercial electric vehicles at a 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory that is anticipated to cost between USD 2-3 billion. The emphasis is on pioneering better battery chemistries that last longer, are safer, lower in cost and are more environmentally sustainable, preferably without the need for nickel and cobalt raw materials.

In partnership with trailer refrigeration specialist, Thermo King, axle and suspension manufacturer BPW Group has been developing a new axle module, called ePower, for recovering energy from the trailer axles while braking and converting it to electricity to power a refrigeration unit.

Now a joint venture called ‘Gaussin Macnica Mobility’ (GMM), Navya has received its first customer order since the liquidation of its assets.

The two firms hold an equal share in the new company, named ‘PO-Rein’, whose aim is to manufacture high-pressure hydrogen storage systems for the Chinese commercial vehicle market.

The joint venture, which will make use of Westport assets and intellectual property, will receive an initial USD28m investment from Volvo, giving it a 45% stake.

The joint venture, under the name ‘Roqit’, will develop a digital platform for the provision of various services, including management tools for fleets, insurance, hydrogen infrastructure, and emissions tracking, as well as data insights.