Group spending in research and development into electric vehicles will increase to EUR2.6bn between now and 2026, adjusting its original budget of EUR1.6bn to 2025.

Cummins Inc, based in Columbus, Indiana, USA, has announced it will open a new Powertrain Test Facility at its Darlington, UK campus. Ground preparation work has begun on the site, with the firm expecting the first phase of the GBP14 million investment expected to open for operations by May 2023.

Daimler Truck AG, based in Stuttgart, Germany, has announced the launch of its new product engineering and IT centre in Bangalore, India, named Daimler Truck Innovation Centre India (DTICI).

Hankook Tire & Technology, based in Seoul, South Korea, has announced the official opening of a new test centre in Idiada, Spain, around 40 miles outside Barcelona. The test centre operates a highly automated testing process with an on-site team of around 20 people.

HVAC systems supplier for bus and coach and rail, Hispacold SA has opened a climate testing laboratory at its headquarters in Seville. The new purpose-built facility has two separate climate chambers, one for bus and one for rail. Hispacold says it has invested close to EUR1million in the centre, with initial plans first drawn up as far back as 2010.

The Swedish manufacturer plans to invest SEK975m in the test track, which is waiting for approval by the local authority.

The South Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure & Transport in late December 2021 announced that trials of hydrogen fuel-cell trucks in real logistics operating environments had begun to help determine accurately the full eco-system requirements before these vehicles are introduced commercially.  

Construction at the site, where a new 12-metre electric bus for the European market is set to be produced, is due to begin on 18 March.

Continental AG of Hanover, Germany, has opened a sales and competence centre in Yokohama, Japan for development of hydrogen hose lines for use in powertrain technologies.

Ground-breaking at the new manufacturing and technology centre in the Castilla y León region is set for 27 January 2022.

Cummins has announced the opening of its Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powertrain Integration Center in West Sacramento, California. The site will focus on the development of PEM fuel cells.

pepper motion is developing a new battery system at its R&D centre in Paderborn, Germany.