Another city in Brazil, this time a city with hot temperatures of up to 41 deg. C, Cuiabá of Mato Grosso State, has begun testing China’s Higer electric 12m low floor bus, the Azure A12BR e-bus.

From 7 July this year, all newly registered vehicles in the European Union must comply with the second tranche of rules known as the ‘General Safety Regulation’ (“GSR II”). These regulations will require all new road vehicles to be installed with more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which employ some of the latest innovations being made at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. These include systems for intelligent speed assistance; reversing detection with cameras and/or sensors; attention warnings in case of driver drowsiness or distraction; event data recorders; and emergency stop signals.

The 1000th vehicle was one out of 17 ‘E12’ battery electric buses which were ordered by Transdev for Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.

ENC bus manufacturing at Riverside will wind down by the end of fiscal year 2024, once outstanding commitments to customers have been fulfilled.

While the city of Jakarta commits to being fully electric by 2030, the Indonesian and South Korean governments have signed a bilateral cooperation agreement to develop a public transportation network using battery-powered buses across cities in Indonesia.

BYD Europe is set to supply 92 electric buses to the Flanders-based public transport operator, De Lijn. The EUR 42 million order consists of 92 standard 12-metre electric buses, set to be delivered next year.

The company has recently announced a raft of orders, including 411 e-buses (E-WAY) to ATAC S.p.A. in Rome and 153 E-Way buses to Azienda Trasporti Milanesi S.p.A. (ATM) in Milan, Italy.

The company says it will focus on commercialising its ‘Solar Bus Kit’, which (despite the name) is intended for trucks and trailers as well as buses.

In December, four Catalan public transport companies tested the 7-metre ‘eC24s’ in the Barcelona metropolitan area.

The company reported that sales of Maxus vans grew by 46% in 2023, while its battery electric vans took fourth place in the UK LCV-EV market, and it forecasts growth of 50% across all brands this year. 

Both subsystems are intended for easy integration into prototype and development vehicles, providing some of the necessary electronic components between the fuel cell stack/auxiliary battery and the traction motor.

An experienced transport policy and public affairs specialist, Robert Gwynn joins the company with the role of getting more alternatively fuelled vehicles across its fleet.