The Mercedes-Benz Vans Dusseldorf plant started series production of the full electric Sprinter on December 12.

Bus assembly, repair and service group, Terus Maju Services Sdn Bhd has launched the TMS bus chassis on the local market, which is in fact supplied by Chinese bus manufacturer, Zhongtong Bus Holding Company of Liaocheng, Shandong Province.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has re-launched and re-entered the light duty van / truck market with its L300 small truck in the Philippines at the end of September 2019, fitted with a new diesel engine which meets the country’s Euro IV regulations.

Hyundai Motor Company at NACV 2019 in Atlanta held in October this year unveiled two new concepts: The HDC-6 NEPTUNE Concept, a hydrogen-powered Class 8 heavy duty truck and a nitrogen powered refrigerated semi-trailer, the HT Nitro ThermoTech Concept in conjunction with its US trailer subsidiary, San Diego, California based  Hyundai Translead.

Japanese truck-maker, Hino Motors Ltd, in late October 2019 announced it has established a new procurement joint venture with the Traton Group, called Hino & Traton Global Procurement; with the aim of sharing outsourcing costs and development of selected technologies.

Chinese vehicle manufacturer, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group said it plans to launch a full-range of new energy commercial vehicles in South-east Asia soon.

“In five years, i.e. by 2025, we will no longer have available diesel trucks from 7.5 tonnes up to 26 tonnes,” stated Rémi Lemoine, responsible for alternative solutions at Volvo Trucks France, at Solutrans 2019 in Lyon last month.

Three months’ on from the strategic and exclusive heavy-duty truck partnership signed between CNH Industrial NV and Nikola Corporation, the partners, in Turin this month, announced it was now giving maximum priority to the development of its European business.

Nikola is now the new brand name for heavy-duty battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell tractor units from Iveco in Europe.

At a capital markets day held in mid-November, executives at Daimler AG announced radical restructuring to transition the company to a carbon neutral future.

Daimler Trucks & Buses, the commercial vehicle division of Daimler AG, last month announced it is pursuing a strategy to offer only new vehicles that are CO2-neutral in driving operation in the triad markets of Europe, Japan and NAFTA by 2039.

From the start of next year's IAA Commercial Vehicle Event in Hanover, Daimler E Mobility Trucks & Buses, a division of Daimler AG is to offer a free eTruck Ready App enabling customers to determine which operating profiles and routes are suitable for an electric truck.