Morelissen is in charge of the company’s commercial strategy at a time when the company has been struggling with cash flow. He will report directly to founder and co-CEO Peter Bijvelds.

The manufacturer says it is looking to take on fast-rising competition from Chinese and European manufacturers in the emerging global market for zero-emission commercial vehicles, including hydrogen-powered trucks and buses.

Wrightbus has chosen the Zen Plus batteries due to their high energy density (180 Wh/kg) and long cycle life (5,000). The Zen Plus battery utilises a 77 kWh NMC lithium-ion cells.

Total sales of heavy commercial vehicles (including trucks, buses and minibuses, in Peru during the first half of 2024 reached 8,807 units, up 7.1% compared with 8,220 units in the same period in 2023.

The Colombian heavy commercial vehicle market experienced a sharp decline in the first half of 2024, with sales falling by 30.7% to 5,042 units compared with 7,277 units in the same period in 2023.

After NewPower successfully converted two diesel buses to run on battery electric for First Bus, the operator placed an order for a further thirty buses.

The first half of the year saw a 16.4% decrease in commercial vehicle sales, with 6,559 units sold compared with 7,837 units in the same period last year.

The Argentine commercial vehicle market experienced significant decline in the first half of 2024, with sales reaching 5,639 units, a 22.9% drop compared with 7,318 units sold from January to June last year.

The order is made up of 550 Crossway (10 and 12 metre) and 350 Crossway LE buses, set to be delivered by the end of 2028. ÖBB Postbus already has 1300 Crossway buses in its fleet.

Production of bus chassis in Brazil surged by 53.8% in the first half of the year reaching 14,668 units compared with 9,539 units in the same period last year.

Truck output across Brazil totalled 64,391 units in the first half of the year, an increase of 36.5% compared with 47,173 units the same period in 2023. Bus and coach chassis output increased 53.8%

Domestic sales of bus and coach chassis during January to June of 2024 fell by 21.7%  to 8,860 units, down from 11,322 in the same period of the previous year.