The 69-seater buses also feature 30 USB charging ports, built-in WIFI and air conditioning along with a total capacity of 97 passengers.

Vesco spent much of his 30-year career working at Wisconsin-based logistics firm Schneider National Inc.

The order, valued at approximately USD 60.9 million, includes 50, Volvo 9600 luxury sleeper coaches and 500, Eicher Intercity 13.5m2 AC and non-AC sleeper coaches.

The bus manufacturer said it is looking to fill around 100 skilled and semi-skilled production positions at its factory in Northern Ireland, along with 50 apprenticeships.

The Enviro400EVs are fitted with roof-mounted charging rails that allow their 472kWh battery system to be topped up from pantographs installed at the Harrogate bus station.

In order to drive up consumer interest, the company has been publishing many of its tests. The latest endeavour saw the eActros 600 complete a five-week test in temperatures of up to 44 degrees Celsius in Andalusia, Spain.

A European customer has now taken five vehicles, and Quantron’s CEO, Michael Perschke, said its orders amount to up to 100 units.

The company now aims to acquire certificates from FMVSS, as well as the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency, before the end of the year, making its ‘P7’ vehicles roadworthy and eligible for incentives.

The new test centre, jointly operated by FEV Group, in Oued Zem complements two cold weather sites in Finland, north of the Arctic Circle.

The company has started deliveries of its ATM 28T Full Elec electric yard tractors to Amazon in the United States, an order comprising 329 vehicles. The vehicles are produced at Gaussin’s manufacturing facility in Saint-Vallier, France.

Tractor sales in the first quarter (April to June) of 2023-24 increased by 51.9% to register 14,479 units compared with 9,535 units in the same quarter of the previous year (FY 2022-23).

The FH – standing for ‘Forward control High entry’ – was launched to replace the ‘F’ series of trucks which had been in production for over 15 years.