Manufacturers have always cared about what the customer thinks about their products. In the commercial vehicle industry, this is often expressed in terms of economics. Perhaps it needs an industry outsider to make the question of customer satisfaction about empathy instead of, or in addition to, materialism. Recently, I spoke with somebody who is prepared to bring feelings into a conversation that normally deals with facts only – Ali Javidan, the founder and CEO of Range Energy, a startup firm based in Mountain View in California’s Silicon Valley.

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence used to create entirely new solutions within a specific field.

Seeing Machines’ technology, which tracks the driver’s face and behaviour to identify and react to distraction or drowsiness, was tested and certified successfully for use in buses produced by Wrightbus.

Optibus and Stoneridge’s software offerings will be made available by Volvo Bus to pilot customers in selected markets this year.

Available to last-mile delivery fleets in the USA and Europe, this package includes premium tyres, its Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), connectivity services and maintenance & servicing in one subscription-based package.  

There are some ideas that seem so obvious upon their introduction that one wonders why somebody did not think of it earlier. A hands-free charger that automatically plugs into an electric vehicle and unplugs from it when finished surely qualifies as a not-so-obvious obvious idea. It makes perfect sense – given the potential dangers of handling high-voltage equipment, and also given the prospect of driverless vehicles – to develop chargers that do not require a human to operate them. After speaking to Erin Galiger – who is director of the North American market for Dutch tech firm Rocsys – at the latest ACT Expo, I learned that hands-free chargers have several more applications than I had initially expected.

Valeo says it will also be partnering with Seeing Machines to offer a “best-in-class” full system for interior sensing, available to the passenger car and commercial vehicle segments.

At this year’s ‘Global Technology Day’ – held at its test track on 27 June in Jeversen, to the north of Hanover – ZF Group’s CEO, Dr Holger Klein, observed that, while sales of fully electric cars are slowing down, hybrids are seeing “a renaissance”. Fittingly, ZF used the event to promote one of its latest innovations, a new hybrid drive system. During the rest of the day, however, we were taken onto the track to see how its advanced safety technologies from the passenger car segment are now being transferred to trucks.

Between 12-13 June, Schmitz Cargobull AG hosted members of the press at its trailer factory in Vreden, located just on the border with the Netherlands. The ostensible reason for our visit was to receive a sneak preview of the company’s newest transport refrigeration product, which will be unveiled at the next IAA Transportation in Hanover: in fact, we learned much more about the company’s plans to expand and modernise its trailer factory, where it produces the ‘S.KO’ refrigerated models and the ‘S.BO’ dry freight range.

Michelin has added the Smart Predictive Tyre feature to the MICHELIN Connected Fleet suite of digital services in the UK. The system monitors tyre pressure (TPMS), wear and degradation using smart sensors to provide real-time alerts that help fleet operators improve safety and efficiency, specifically regarding scheduled maintenance.

The system works by tapping into the vehicle’s Controller Area Network (CAN) and then any seatbelt violations prompt drivers to buckle up by sending an instant notification to the dashboard. This ensures compliance with laws and enhances safety.

Isuzu announced it has agreed to invest USD30m in Gatik AI, the US-based autonomous driving technology company, to strengthen its autonomous logistics programme.