At last year’s ACT Expo in Las Vegas, Truck & Bus Builder met for the first time with Range Energy to learn more about its “electric trailer platform”. This year’s show provided the opportunity for a business update after two major announcements: the appointment of a new chief executive officer, Jon Foster, and a supply agreement with ZF Group for its ‘AxTrax 2’ e-axles. I spoke with founder Ali Javidan – now chief technology officer – and Foster about what the company hopes to achieve in the next five years.

Series production of the fifth-generation OptiRide began last year for an unnamed European commercial vehicle manufacturer; now, ZF is also supplying the system to Hyundai.

Hübner is actively exploring opportunities to deploy its hydropneumatic suspension system in electric commercial vehicles, with ongoing discussions taking place with bus manufacturers to incorporate the technology into future vehicle platforms. Meanwhile, the company will jointly showcase a demonstrator truck with this new airless suspension system at the next IAA 2026.  

Providing 356 kilowatt hours of energy storage, these battery packs carry nickel-manganese-cobalt cells which are packaged at MAN’s facility in Nuremberg.

The ‘RE2b’, like the ‘RD1’ launched earlier this year, combines a manual ramp which folds into the floor of the bus with an electric ramp, but with greater width to make it more accessible for wheelchair passengers.

On a mixed production line, MAN can produce approximately one hundred trucks per day with diesel and battery electric drivelines, taking around eight hours to build a truck from start to finish.

Right-hand drive models will be produced from the end of the year.

Volvo’s new ‘Safety Zones’ feature, available through its ‘Volvo Connect’ digital services, allows operators to “geofence” certain locations, such as a port or a logistics centre, and assign specific speed limits (20 km/h and above).

These tyres feature a new tread design which reduces rolling resistance and noise and improves traction, offering robust performance in the most demanding conditions while realising fuel savings, according to Michelin.

This is the first and largest outright purchase of electric buses by a state transport corporation in India.

South Korean automaker agrees collaboration with local defense contractor.

With the combined effect of these aerodynamic improvements, Volvo’s FH Aero model can reduce fuel consumption by up to 7% versus an unimproved FH model.