Following on from an agreement signed last year to develop a self-driving tractor, Kalmar and Forterra are now in the second round of tests of their jointly developed solution.

What a difference a year can make! A year ago, Truck & Bus Builder attended the “E-Bus Test” in the German city of Bonn, organised yearly by the German magazine Omnibus Spiegel. It is a fantastic opportunity for European journalists to ride on and test drive the latest electric buses, some of which have yet to launch in the market. In this regard, the 2025 edition of the e-bus test was no different. However, the outlook for the electric bus market in Europe is less certain now than it was even just twelve months ago. A representative of Stadtwerke Bonn, the operator of Bonn’s urban transport system which hosted the e-bus test at its depot, told attendees at the event that it is no longer looking for incentives to purchase electric buses from the European Union. Those dried up a while ago, and the city of Dortmund – to give just one example – has gone back to purchasing diesel buses. There is not a great deal of hope either that the new government in Germany will announce further support for electric buses and charging infrastructure.

The prototype, dubbed ‘Alumotor’, is a synchronous reluctance motor which does not require rare earth metals or cobalt in order to work.

Made for incorporation in an air conditioning system in a passenger car or commercial vehicle, the radial fan is 15% more efficient and 60% quieter than a conventional design, according to Mahle.

These tests are designed to ensure the vehicle meets the durability standards of conventional diesel trucks, aiming for 1.2 million kilometres of operation over ten years.

At the event, the company announced that it plans to commence commercial availability of the propane-powered stripped chassis in the second quarter of 2026.

An ‘eTGX’ tractor unit will be put on the road, pulling DPD semi-trailers on a route from the firm’s delivery hub in Hinckley in central England.

This will aid GreenPower’s expansion into the State of New Mexico and across the U.S. electric school bus market.

In addition to a snow plough at the front of the truck, a second plough is attached to the side of the Pacton salt spreader trailer, measuring 5.5 metres in length.

This different approach involves installing Kempower's charging equipment below ground, effectively preserving truck parking space at logistics depots.

Two 11-metre models undergoing certification.

The manufacturer is trialling a new autonomous driving feature, developed in-house, which allows buses to drive into and out of passenger stops independently of the driver.