Mercedes-Benz do Brasil has announced it has completed a BRA100m renovation of its cab assembly line in São Bernardo do Campo with expectations in efficiency gains of up to 15% and gains in terms of its logistical operations of some 20%.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pailton Engineering, the steering system manufacturer, has invested in a low volume production cell specifically for small batch orders and pre-production sample manufacturing.

Scania AB is developing a fuel cell refuse truck together with Renova AB, a waste management services company owned by a consortium of municipalities in western Sweden.

Schmitz Cargobull AG says investments during 2017/18 year ending March 2018 and on-going into 2018/19 on technology and capacity expansion at its plant in Panevezys (where it builds a range of refrigerated and dry box van structures for trucks and trailers) will see daily output levels triple from April 2019.

Hyundai Truck and Bus Rus (an official representative office and subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company, established in February 2017) has started series assembly of the Hyundai HD35 and Hyundai35City light commercial vehicle range (with gross weights stated as 3.5 tons) at the Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad.