French group, UTAC CERAM and British test engineering group, Millbrook Proving Ground Ltd, both key engineering partners to automotive customers in Europe and around the world, plan to merge operations to create a market leading group in vehicle testing, homologation, and emerging technologies for autonomous, connected, and electric vehicles.

ENWAY GmbH, a Berlin software developer and Bucher Municipal AG, the Swiss sweeper manufacturer are to commence trials on public roads of a self-driving autonomous utility vehicle in Singapore.

The Yutong Group of Zhengzhou in December 2020 made a strategic investment of USD200m in WeRide, an autonomous driving technology start-up company.

Paccar Inc and Aurora Innovation Inc have signed a global strategic partnership agreement to develop, test and commercialise autonomous, Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks.

Yutong, together with its joint venture project partner, autonomous driving technology start-up, WeRide, has announced the companies are to deliver 200 of mini Robobus autonomous passenger transport vehicles for operations in a dedicated zone or area within Zhengzhou in the first half of 2021.

BPW Group of Wiehl, Germany, a producer of trailer running gear and associated chassis technologies, is to lead a consortium in the development of an autonomous trailer.

Livox Technology Co Ltd is collaborating with China’s largest truck manufacturer, FAW Jiefang Automotive Co Ltd, and Suzhou Zhito Technology Co Ltd in the development, production and integration of lidar systems for facilitating autonomous driving in heavy duty trucks.

ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Control Systems division has invested around EUR18m expanding the Erich Reinecke Test Track in Jeversen and adding to its commercial vehicle testing capabilities for trucks and buses.

Hamburg-based Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH (40% owned by ZF) has commissioned ZF Friedrichshafen AG to produce its next generation “ibeoNEXT” LiDAR system, including the systems’ electronic control unit.

Lidar detection system manufacturer, Livox Technology Co Ltd, has developed  two new product solutions, the Mid-70, for blind spot free short range detection and Avia, for improved long range detection.

September 2020 marks a year of Daimler Trucks North America Inc and Torc Robotics working together after the US-based automated driving technology company became part of Daimler Trucks’ Autonomous Technology Group.

North America’s largest bus and coach builder, New Flyer of America Inc - a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc - has announced it will deploy North America’s first automated heavy-duty transit bus as part of a demonstration of automated driving technology led by the Connecticut Department of Transportation with funding from the Federal Transit Administration under the IMI initiative.