Called ‘FFB PreFab’, the 6,450-square-metre building is an initial step towards building an even larger facility, the ‘FFB Fab’, for research into large-scale industrial methods of battery cell production.

At the CV Show 2024, held between 23-25 April at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, EV manufacturer B-ON GmbH of Luxembourg announced a joint venture with Chinese car manufacturer Chery Automobile Co. Ltd, based in Wuhu, China.

With series production expected late this year, Daimler has launched eActros 600 customer trials in Germany. These tests provide valuable real-world feedback not only on the truck but also on the reliability of the public charging infrastructure/network.

The plan is to start mass production of a battery-powered version of the Hilux pickup truck for Thailand and for export.

The Rizon brand will be offered in four model variants, namely the e16L, e16M, e18L, and the e18M ranging from 7.25T to 8.55T GVW. Importantly, Rizon battery-electric vehicles qualify for Canadian government subsidies through the Medium- and Heavy-duty-Zero-Emission Vehicles” (iMHZEV) program.

By using HVO instead of diesel, Volvo claims it can replace up to 1,125,000 gallons of diesel annually, achieving an emissions reduction of 75% to 85% from its operations in North America.

The first ‘B6.7H’ hydrogen engines rolled off the production line at Jamshedpur in March and are now being integrated in Tata trucks.

Daimler Buses and BMZ are set to co-develop new generation (NMC4) e-bus batteries to be equipped in Daimler Buses. Improvements in cell chemistry, life cycle and energy density should result in longer range and battery longevity.  

The company announced its full-year financial results for 2023, which included a net loss of USD 54.2m (2022: USD110.1m) and a net revenue of USD 22.1m in 2023, an increase of 147% from USD 8.9m in 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in vehicle sales and spare parts sales, including the delivery of 250 autonomous delivery vans in China.

The delivery was part of an order for ten double-deck coaches fitted with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and five single-deck buses placed by the bus operator last year, as it looked to fulfil growing demand for inter-state road travel.

BorgWarner’s full-year financial year results included net sales of USD14.1bn, an increase of 12.4% when compared with 2022 (USD12.6bn). Gross profit was up too in 2023 at USD2.5bn (2022: USD2.3bn) with operating income of USD1.1bn, or 8.2% of net sales.

The 2023 strategic highlights include the second-generation stack design, offering performance improvements. Furthermore, a megawatt electrolyser demonstrator completed testing in Germany and has arrived at partner Shell’s R&D centre in Bangalore, India for further testing.