Taking yet another major step into the electrification of its truck fleet, Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, speaking at the launch of its heavy duty eActros 600 tractor unit announced that series production in Wörth, Germany was slated for Q4, 2024.

Habas is a branch of a 67-year-old holding company that specialises in producing industrial gases. The holding company decided to invest in the automotive sector in 2021 and set up a bus-building arm of the corporation. The first port of call was establishing a factory in the Manisa Organised Industrial Zone, in Manisa, Turkey.

T&BB decided to have a closer look at the world’s 4th biggest tyre manufacturer as it looks to expand its global presence through fleet digitalisation, product range and aftermarket services in the context of the impending Euro VII regulation.

Executives claimed that they have an annual production capacity of 5,000 buses and a strategy to target the Middle Eastern and African markets.

The third-generation demo truck, powered by a Cummins ‘X15N’ engine with renewable natural gas, hauled a fully loaded trailer on an 840-mile round trip in California to collect performance data.

The company says it has begun a “critical development stage” with the testing of its X1.5 prototype hydrogen truck, which follows the launch of its HGV technology demonstrator in April earlier this year.

The facility, which has been operational since July 2023, allows testing of both individual components and complete vehicles in real driving conditions, simulating all types of road and climate conditions (between -15 °C and +55°C in all seasons).

Ballard will supply fuel cell systems as part of the development of a Ford FCEV prototype truck in Turkey. The deal initially will see Ballard supply two FCmove XD 120 kW fuel cell engines planned for Q4, 2023 delivery. The engines will be integrated into Ford F-Max 44-tonne long-haul tractors as part of developing the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) F-MAX prototype.

The exhibition, which took place from the 6th to the 7th of September, attracted over 150 exhibitors involved in low-carbon mobility. The exhibition had a small collection of companies dedicated to the commercial vehicle market sector.

A contract has been signed with the North Macedonia Free Zones Authority (TIDZ), which has helped with finding suitable land and tax incentives and which is expected to see more than 60 production lines be built by 2028.

The project aims to build a commercially competitive 44-tonne proof of concept Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) heavy goods tractor unit. With funding from the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre, project ICEBreaker is set to begin next month (October 2023) with the aim of developing lighter, more efficient hydrogen fuel cell Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) with a lower cost of ownership.

Production is to take place at Temsa’s factory in Adana, with a prototype expected by next year and series production towards the end of 2025. Both engineering teams will be working closely together in order to meet these deadlines.