New energy commercial vehicles (NECVs), comprising mainly hydrogen, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, increased by 32% to 447,000 units.

Daimler Truck opened a new 22,000 sqm truck and bus all-purpose driveline agnostic servicing and sales centre in Stuttgart (“Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Center”) for Mercedes-Benz and Fuso trucks as well as Setra and Mercedes-Benz buses. This is its fifth such facility in the past 12 months, and it plans to add three more in Europe in 2025.

Kempower expects to offer boosted charging performance with its next-generation DC fast charging technology. Series production is set for late Q1 2024 in the Lahti plant in Finland and Q2 2024 in the North Carolina factory in the USA.

This being one of the biggest orders for its luxury coaches, the vehicles are to be built in full at the Volvo Buses India factory in Hoskote in accordance with the Automotive Indian Standard (Code AIS 119).

The two engineering teams have already started working together on ChargePoint’s new generation EV chargers, building on a previous manufacturing agreement. ChargePoint wants to capitalise on AcBel’s 40 years of R&D experience, bringing more efficient EV chargers to market, faster and at a lower cost.

From March 21 until the start of June 2024, travellers will be able to hop on the Yutong TCe12 electric coach on a Flix Bus route between London, Bristol and Newport (South Wales).

Orders totalling 2,575 vehicles have been placed with the two OEMs.

The total number of city buses with alternative drivelines in European Union 27 countries plus the UK, Norway (NO), Iceland (ICE) and Switzerland (EU 27+4) totalled 13,466 units  comprising 6,354 electric buses (excludes trolley buses), 4,022 hybrid-electric buses, 2,883 CNG buses and 207, hydrogen (fuel cell) buses.

Bus and coach deliveries in Europe* reversed a three year downward trend in 2023 increasing by almost 21% (*Countries EU27+UK+ICE+NO+CH).

Domestic sales of buses and coach of 7.5t gvw and above, finished the third quarter (October to December) of the fiscal year 2023-24 up by 28.8% with registrations of 10,799 units; this compares with 8,387 units in Q3 of FY 2022-23.

Sales of buses and coaches (7.5t & above) increased by 37.7% in first three quarters (April to December) of fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 to register 33,088 units compared with 24,025 units in same three quarter period of 2022-23.

The purpose of the BharatBenz Regional Training Centres is to upskill and reskill the capability and competence of more than 3,500 drivers and, sales and service personnel across the BharatBenz network, annually.