In early 2023, a new name was introduced to the commercial vehicle industry: “Accelera by Cummins”. It was the result of eight separate acquisitions made by parent company Cummins Inc over a period of as many years, all of them connected, albeit in different ways, to zero-emission technology. Naturally, Cummins wished to differentiate its new purchases from its ongoing engine business, and it is not the only legacy manufacturer to attempt a rebrand for its electric vehicle products (a la General Motors’ “Brightdrop” and Shyft Group’s “Blue Arc”). But it also aims to weld its acquisitions together into a single, cohesive unit capable of delivering “end-to-end electric solutions”. Molly Hale – who is the marketing communications manager for Accelera – explained: “There was this belief that we needed to have an identity all our own, to go to the market and explain the depth of the commitment and the depth of the investments in these technologies.”

ZF says it will integrate its ‘AxTrax 2’ e-axle – launched at ACT Expo 2023 – into Range’s electric trailer platform.

The new partnership aims to deliver more efficient, low and zero-emission drivetrain technologies.

JMCG, headquartered in Nanchang in China’s Jiangxi province, mainly operates in the commercial vehicle segment, producing a wide range of light-duty trucks and buses - including pickup trucks under the JMC brand.

The Gaggenau plant manufactures axle and transmission components, such as shafts, gear wheels, and housings which are then sent to the Kassel plant, where the components are assembled into complete electric axles. Gaggenau also produces structural parts for the truck’s cab.

This agreement is expected to enable both Ashok Leyland and Nidec to work together in developing electric drive motors and control systems that will cater to the specific needs of India's commercial vehicle industry.

New plants are expected to enhance Bosch’s components position in the country’s rapidly expanding new energy vehicle (NEV) supply chain.

Brazil’s largest trailer builder, Randon, celebrated delivery of the first semi-trailer (container chassis) equipped with its e-Sys electric drive axle system to the North American market.

This will entail integrating Exro’s Coil Driver inverter technology with SEA Electric’s 5e electric drive system to enhance the performance and cost-efficiency of electric propulsion systems for commercial vehicles.

Starting in late 2024, ZF will provide its CeTrax 2 dual electric central drive, which is designed for heavy-duty trucks, including Ford Trucks' electric rigid truck (F-Line E). This drive offers two electric motors with a continuous power of 380 kW and a peak torque of 24,700 Nm, enabling efficient and powerful performance.

TIP is trialling an electric regen axle system – developed jointly by Thermo King Europe and BPW – with a refrigerated semi-trailer in Britain.

During a press conference at the show, Güriş said that Parsan is now working with AVL to adapt the e-axle for series production.