E-bus builder, PMI Electro Mobility Solutions Pvt Ltd (PMI Electro) of Haryana, a Sino-Indian joint venture has added another electric bus order for 100 units with the Rajkot Municipal Corporation in Gujarat, India - this a full service order i.e. to supply, maintain and operate the 100 electric buses for 10 years.

Since the first installation in 2006 – a Euro-IV standard ISB 4.5 in a ‘Sultan’ midi-bus – Cummins diesel and natural gas engines have been offered in the majority of Otokar’s city and inter-city buses and its tourist coaches.

The move is in line with Quantron’s strategy to become an original equipment manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles on the global market.

The MoU covers an initial period of three years, during which time Switch will supply transportation service provider Chalo with variants of the new ‘EiV12’, designed specifically for the Indian market.

In releasing product development news ahead of the IAA next month, Christian Brenneke, head of global R&D for the ZF Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) division outlined the direction and strategy of CVS.

CJPT in Japan, a technology development partnership company and JV involving Toyota Motor Corporation, Hino Motors Ltd (a Toyota subsidiary) and Isuzu Motors Ltd, has announced a programme to research a standard, commercial, swappable and rechargeable battery cartridge for use in electric vehicles.

The ‘Zero Emission Mobility Innovation Fund’ is targeted at manufacturers who are based in or operating in Scotland and are conducting research and development into or trialling new zero-emission technologies.

Munhoz will report to Mats Gunnarsson, executive vice president of global commercial operations, who is based at the headquarters in Sweden.

Iveco Bus is already far ahead towards production of zero emission vehicles with its Rorthais plant in France fully dedicated to electrication of city buses.

Iveco Bus president lays out key bus market trends and how the company plans to expand into new markets of Central Asia.

The two companies - who have already produced school buses on the Ford Class 4 chassis platform - will now start working with the GM 4500 as well; a cutaway van chassis best known as the basis for the ‘Silverado’ pickup truck range by Chevrolet.

The new 'ErgoLab' includes a 'test cube', which is used to assess the haptics, or “feel”, of the seat, steering wheel, and other interior components in different lighting conditions.