At IAA Transportation 2024, held between 17-22 September in Hanover, Germany, Brazilian trailer and components firm Randoncorp presented products from its auto parts brands, including wheel-end components from Castertech, brake systems from Master Freios (a joint venture with Cummins), and axles, suspensions, and e-mobility products from Suspensys. However, the group’s most interesting showcase was invisible to the naked eye. In its axle products lay hidden a secret ingredient measurable only on the nanoscale: a niobium compound, which has the power to augment the mechanical properties of steel while considerably reducing its weight. It also improves the performance of other materials, enabling them to achieve their full potential.

The new ‘HV (i.e., high voltage) Test & Validation Laboratory’ is already accredited to national and international standards for testing electric vehicles with architectures rated at 800 volts.

In July, American powertrain manufacturer, Cummins Inc, opened a new test facility at its engine plant in Darlington in the northeast of England, with the attendance of T&BB and other members of the trade press. The company has carried out engine testing at Darlington for many years, but the new facility represents a definitive change in approach to product development and evaluation. While the older test cells are solely designed to assess engines, the new facility can accommodate an entire truck or bus for whole vehicle testing. Moreover, the building which houses the new facility is specifically made to safely test gas and hydrogen combustion vehicles.

The aim of the new project partnership will be to further develop air adsorption in fuel cell humidification.

The EV & Future Mobility Park is being created on 300 acres in Shoolagiri, Krishnagiri District.

The slower-than-expected transition to electric vehicles is one of the main factors behind the decision to restructure the business, though Northvolt’s CEO and co-founder, Peter Carlsson, said, “there remains no question that the global transition towards electrification — and the long-term outlook for cell manufacturers, including Northvolt — is strong”.

The proof-of-concept vehicle was assembled, deployed and tested at the MIRA Technology Park in Nuneaton, UK. The prototype is expected to be tested by operators and OEMs during the rest of 2024.

The new R&D facility is located in Pune, Maharashtra, near a major production site where SAF-Holland manufactures trailer axles and suspensions under the ‘York’ brand.

The new lab verifies and validates software feature functionality for trucks and buses that not only meet current safety standards, but also helps Daimler Truck products manufactured products meeting future global safety regulations.

The company has been testing a hydrogen-powered engine in a Mercedes-Benz Unimog with the long-term aim of developing, at scale, hydrogen combustion engines for heavy-duty and specialised vehicles.

This deal will create significant revenues for Ceres through licensing fees, royalty payments, engineering services and hardware over multiple years. The majority of the revenue generated will come through royalty payments on any hydrogen delivered to the end customers.

The test took place on a North American highway in Q4 2023 over 19,312 kilometres with fully loaded comparison trucks. The test ran with and without cylinder deactivation active via a dashboard switch.