In its centenary year in Brazil, Ford Brasil Ltda surprised the market in February by announcing it is to close its factory in São Bernardo do Campo where it produces the Ford F-Series models and Ford Cargo truck, as well as the Ford Fiesta car; production is expected to cease as soon as inventories run out, the company stated.

CNH Industrial NV has announced the introduction of 3D printers to manufacture components and spare parts, providing its customers with rapid availability and support throughout the product’s lifecycle.

Cartwright Conversions has achieved official Ford Converter status for two mid-sized wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Eberspächer Exhaust Technology International and Sharda Motor Industries Ltd last month signed an agreement to create a joint venture of parity (50:50) ownership to supply exhaust after-treatment systems for trucks and buses to enable compliance with the new Bharat Stage VI  emission standards, which come into force from April 1, 2020.

Ford Motor Company, under a comprehensive redesign of its global business structure, has announced it plans to exit the commercial heavy truck business in South America.

Scania AB inaugurated a new THB800m (USD26m) assembly plant in Thailand in February, as it looks to expand its presence in the region’s truck and bus market.

DRiV Incorporated is the name of the future publicly traded Aftermarket and Ride Performance company due to launch in the second half of 2019, following Tenneco Inc’s acquisition of Federal Mogul Corporation in October 2018 and its decision to separate into two independent companies.

Hino Motors Ltd, a Toyota Group Company, plans to invest JPY11.5bn (USD105m) in a new integrated research and development centre and production hub in Thailand, with construction set to begin in July 2019.

TM4, the Boucherville, motor and inverter joint venture between Dana Incorporated and Quebec-Hydro has reached a major milestone with the production of its 12,000th TM4 SUMO electric powertrain system for heavy commercial vehicles in China.

January saw the start of pre-production assembly of Hino’s XL-Series Class7/8 trucks in the USA on a brand new production line installed in a new plant in Mineral Wells.

Sweden's Scania has supplied a 16-litre engine to support a new Australian trial of renewable diesel fuel. The fuel will be made from waste plastic, old vehicle tyres, agricultural and forestry waste, as well as bio-solids. The trial is aimed at achieving commercial scale production.

Fahrzeugwerk Bernard Krone GmbH & Co KG is doubling its production capacity for swap bodies and Dry Liners at its production plant in Herzlake.