Volvo Trucks North America Inc is utilising 3D printing technology to produce tools and fixtures used in the manufacturing process at its New River Valley plant in Dublin where all trucks for the North American market are built.

A national survey of 449 fleet operating companies conducted by the Ecuadorian magazine, Buen Viaje, specialized in tourism and bus operations, which represents 56.5% of the total of 709 dedicated to passenger transportation, revealed that the vast majority of buses in use in the country has bodies produced by domestic manufacturers.

Volvo Buses Latin America Ltda has delivered the first 336 buses (202 articulated and 134 bi-articulated) of the 700 new buses ordered last November for Transmilenio operations in Bogotá; the vehicles started operations in June.

The new production unit is located within an existing MANN+HUMMEL plant and near its main customer. The plant is to be digitally connected with lean manufacturing principals focused on reducing waste.

Hino Motors Ltd held a grand opening ceremony for a new truck assembly plant in Mineral Wells which was attended by Yoshio Shimo, group CEO, Shigehiro Matsuoka, US Hino Sales president and Takashi Ono, US Hino Manufacturing president alongside other local dignitaries.

Hino Motors Ltd in July began construction of a new combined R&D and production base in Bang Bo in Thailand’s Samut Prakarn Province.

Mercedes-Benz Vans has expanded its range of new-generation minibuses with a Sprinter Transfer 45 and Sprinter City 45 urban bus.

New Flyer of America Inc has announced an order from the Connecticut Department of Transportation for 50, forty-foot heavy-duty Xcelsior clean-diesel buses.

Engine retardation specialist, Jacobs Vehicle Systems, has entered into a collaboration with internal combustion controls company, Tula Technology Inc.

Allison Transmission Inc has celebrated assembly of its 250,000th fully automatic transmission at its factory at Szentgotthárd.

Akia Avesto Automotive Industry LLC announced at Busworld Central Asia that in June this year it had inaugurated a bus factory in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

BMB Mode Center Ltda, the vehicle modification specialist for Volkswagen Trucks and Buses, has just completed 18 years of operations, manufacturing some 135,000 custom-built bodies in that timeframe.