TICO’s next-generation ‘Pro-Spotter EV’ switches out the Volvo Penta driveline used in the previous model for either a ZF central motor or a Dana e-axle.

Using biomethane in its gas engine, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 95% compared with current diesel engines, FPT Industrial states.

Available to last-mile delivery fleets in the USA and Europe, this package includes premium tyres, its Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), connectivity services and maintenance & servicing in one subscription-based package.  

At the latest Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, held between 20-23 May at the Las Vegas Convention Center, we spoke to several firms that offer support to operators looking to switch their fleets to electric vehicles. One of the firms we spoke with was Zenobē, a London-based “charging-as-a-service” company with considerable experience already in the passenger transport segment. There is a bewildering number of charging providers in the market, and it can be difficult to tell them apart and assess their individual merits. Now that Zenobē is expanding to the American market, we decided this would be a good time to find out what makes it different from the competition.

There were many companies at the latest ACT Expo presenting variations on the theme of what one might call “Electric-Fleet-as-a-service” – that is to say, a contractual relationship where the operator has the upfront costs and hassles of switching to an electric fleet taken out of its hands by a “turnkey” service provider. One such company I spoke with was Revolv, whose CEO, Scott Davidson, feels that terms such as “X-as-a-service” and “turnkey” have been diluted through overuse. “Our product is performance,” he said.

There are some ideas that seem so obvious upon their introduction that one wonders why somebody did not think of it earlier. A hands-free charger that automatically plugs into an electric vehicle and unplugs from it when finished surely qualifies as a not-so-obvious obvious idea. It makes perfect sense – given the potential dangers of handling high-voltage equipment, and also given the prospect of driverless vehicles – to develop chargers that do not require a human to operate them. After speaking to Erin Galiger – who is director of the North American market for Dutch tech firm Rocsys – at the latest ACT Expo, I learned that hands-free chargers have several more applications than I had initially expected.

The e-SMaRT AU56 City product is now in series production. The first tyres to roll off the production line will be 275/70 R22.5 tyres, designed for the urban electric bus market.

According to Shawn Furman, Sales Manager for Optimal EV’s transit business, who spoke to T&BB at the latest ACT Expo, the company has preferred to keep a low profile over the last couple of years, especially given the bad press which EVs are receiving. While competitors such as Lightning eMotors have gone under, Optimal EV has been quietly working away on its main offerings, an electric chassis-cab and a battery electric low floor shuttle bus.

Electra Battery Materials will use the funds to demonstrate the scalability of its hydrometallurgical black mass process, which produces recycled nickel, cobalt and lithium which can then be reused in the production of new products. This will help make the Canadian EV supply chain more sustainable, relying on fewer precious metals used in EV batteries.

As part of the agreement signed between the two companies, Atlantic Autocars will take an initial order of five ‘Quantron Qargo BEV’ light-duty trucks.

The 2,000m2 warehouse in Northern Italy in Mantova will begin operations in Q4 2024. The aim is to shorten the delivery time of Krone spare parts in Italy.

Several of the vehicles were shown in order to promote the work that Poindexter’s brands have done to design bodies which are better suited to the characteristics and demands of the electric driveline: one of these was ‘Project Blackjack’, a proof-of-concept vehicle with a lightweight and aerodynamic Morgan truck body.