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.

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.

Marcopolo states that the African region is the second largest regional market for Marcopolo, surpassed only by Latin America.

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.

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.

Production of bus and coach bodies in Brazil saw a 4.9% increase in the first six months of this year to 10,851 units from 10,336 units.

June saw Knorr-Bremse open a new manufacturing plant in Dalian in China’s Liaoning province, as it looks to increase its share of the local market for commercial vehicle braking systems.

The consortium claims that the lithium-ion battery enhanced with Niobium, is an unprecedented innovation in the global automotive industry, offering ultra-fast charging capabilities to achieving full charge in just 10 minutes.