A project researching an aerodynamically optimised articulated tractor-trailer combination initiated by Dutch international food producer, Vion NV of Boxtel, The Netherlands, started trials on German roads in mid-March with expectations of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 8%.

Van Hool NV of Koningshooikt, Belgium, has set up a new subsidiary in the UK called Van Hool UK Ltd. Based in Wellingborough, it will undertake the import, distribution, sales and aftersales support of the company’s bus and coach products.

Mercedes-Benz AG of Stuttgart, Germany has announced the next generation eSprinter van is to be built, starting from the second half of 2023, at three of the company’s global locations in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA, and in Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde, Germany.

Linamar Corporation of Livonia, Michigan has entered the evaluation phase for its first Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle delivery vans with UPS in California. They are part of a technology contract with the Centre for Transportation and the Environment which is managing the Next Generation Fuel Cell Delivery Van Deployment Project for the California Air Resources Board.

Spanish bus and coach bodybuilder, Industrial Carrocera Arbuciense SA of Arbucies, Gerona, has entered a new partnership agreement with Iveco Bus of Turin, Italy for the manufacture of a new range of low entry urban minibus to be marketed under the name Daily Access.

Private equity firm, ClearVue Partners of Shanghai, China (est. 2012) has completed a Series C funding round for Plus (formerly Plus.ai), a provider of self-driving truck technology in the US and China, raising USD220m. ClearVue is the co-lead investor of the financing round.

Quantron AG of Augsburg, Germany, a producer of electric commercial vehicles recently announced two weeks of successful trials of its Q-Econic electric refuse truck with the city of Ulm waste disposal company, EBU.

Volvo’s Class 8 VNL long haul heavy-duty tractor truck is celebrating over a quarter century of production at the company’s New River Valley plant in Virginia, USA, where it has been assembled since its launch in 1996.

A Volvo Group subsidiary, Volvo Autonomous Solutions based in Gothenburg, Sweden, has entered a strategic partnership with start-up software company, Aurora Innovations Inc of Mountain View, California, United States to develop jointly global autonomous transport solutions at scale.

The Volvo Group of Gothenburg, Sweden has completed the previously announced sale of its Japanese truck and bus subsidiary, UD Trucks Ltd of Ageo, Saitama to Isuzu Motors Ltd of Tokyo, Japan for an enterprise value of JPY243bn (approximately SEK19bn / EUR1.86bn) on a cash and debt free basis.

Irizar e-mobility of Aduna, Spain, starting September 2021 is to supply 44 electric ie buses to Burgas Bus in Burgas, Bulgaria. These are the first electric buses acquired by Burgas and, according to Irizar, its electro-mobility project is currently one of the largest in Bulgaria.

Aludyne Inc of Southfield, Michigan has acquired the CastLight division from Shiloh Industries Inc of Valley City, Ohio. CastLight custom die casting solutions provides a full line of advanced engineered products in both aluminium and magnesium.