February saw PepsiCo take delivery of its first electric heavy-duty truck in Brazil; a semi-heavy rigid (15t ≤ gvw up to 40 tons) P25 6x2 Scania truck, produced in Sweden, which is to be used for internal logistics goods distribution operations between PepsiCo’s four factories* in the state of São Paulo.

According to the latest agreement, the companies plan to co-develop electric heavy-duty trucks (both battery-electric and fuel-cell electric) for the European market.

The facility houses 65 DC 180kW fast chargers with a capacity to charge 200 electric HGVs a day. Einride claims that this is the largest electric HGV charging station in North America.

When combined with SKF’s ‘Hybrid’ ceramic ball bearings, the ‘Conductive’ brush ring can reduce the negative effects of parasitic currents which circulate between stator windings and the other components.

The truck is travelling over 10,000 kilometres between April and July, making 60 stops in 7 European countries.

The startup manufacturer says that one of the key changes to the 2024 model ‘Xos SV’ is the addition of an anti-lock braking system with hill hold to improve its drivability.

Electric vans developed under the joint venture, called 'Flexis SAS', will be serially manufactured at Sandouville, where Renault has produced over a million mid-sized vans (‘Trafic’) since it opened ten years ago.

The eTrucks will be offered in 4x2 and 6x2 axle configurations and a myriad of options affecting the wheelbase, the cab, the number of batteries, the battery pack layout, the position of the charging port, suspension, and so on.

The most recent investment of USD300,000 is the third such (not including the grants) made by the state research authority in Viatec, totalling USD750,000 over six years.

The first project is a joint program with Czech truck manufacturer, Tatra Trucks to co-develop a specialised off-road truck prototype called the “Battery Electric Tatra Truck” with multi-speed Transmission (BETTT). Eaton will be responsible for the development of the power distribution unit (PDU) and 4-speed EV transmission.

BP Pulse has acquired the 21-acre Ashford International truck stop in Kent with plans to electrify the site with twenty-megawatt chargers in Q1 2026. This acquisition signifies BP’s long-term plan - creating a European-wide EV charging network.

Having announced its ‘E-Mobility kit’ in 2023 – a portfolio of advanced electric drives, auxiliary components and complete systems for medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles – ZF says it plans to ramp up production from 2025 to meet demand.