At the end of January, the European Commission kicked off a series of strategic dialogues with business leaders from the automotive industry to review regulations which set mandatory CO2 emission targets for newly-registered vehicles. In a press release, the ACEA alleged that car and van manufacturers could face fines of up to EUR16bn this year for failing to comply with the regulation. Cummins expects that a similar target for CVs – a 43% reduction starting in 2030 – will not be achieved without a drastic transformation of the market. Echoing the opinion of the ACEA, Lamb told Truck & Bus Builder that “the rollout of infrastructure for both electric and hydrogen vehicles is slower than will be needed to meet the 2030 target”.

The company said it obtained a letter of conformity to IATF 16949 on the design and manufacturing perimeters for its ‘SymphonHy’ site from testing and certification firm Bureau Veritas last December, exactly a year after the gigafactory’s inauguration.

The company received a general operating permit or ‘ABE’ certificate from the German authorities for its ‘Solar Bus Kit’, a retrofit solution which runs heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning off of solar panels fitted on the roof of the bus.

Following the tests, which were conducted by TÜV Rheinland, SAG’s liquid hydrogen tanks are now certified as safe in the event of an accident involving fire.

The vehicle in question is an articulated ‘Urbino 18’ battery electric bus, one of fifty ordered in 2023 by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, the state-owned company which manages public transportation in the German capital.

The company announced that it has achieved Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) for its right-hand drive (RHD) LDV 130 and LDV 190 electric delivery vans in the UK. This regulatory milestone allows the company to register these vehicles with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), enabling legal road use in the country.

The vehicle, a 12-tonne Renault Trucks ‘D’ model, was tested and approved by UTAC, which assessed its electromagnetic compatibility in line with UN ECE R100 and the conformity of its braking system.

The company announced that its Logistar 450 electric van has received approval from the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) and a certificate from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meaning that the van qualifies for state and federal funding.

While the spotlight was on its combustion technology at its stand at IAA Transportation 2024 – held between 17-22 September in Hanover, Germany – American powertrain manufacturer Cummins Inc also had a lot to say about its alternative offerings, now grouped under the name of ‘Accelera’. Informally, the Accelera brand covers all “the electric stuff”, while the legacy engine components, together with the non-electric axle, braking, and suspension products acquired from Meritor, retain the Cummins name. However, Cummins envisages that, eventually, the “electric stuff” will become the core of its business.

Seeing Machines’ technology, which tracks the driver’s face and behaviour to identify and react to distraction or drowsiness, was tested and certified successfully for use in buses produced by Wrightbus.

The company announced that its Logistar 300 electric van has received approval from the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) and a certificate from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meaning that the van qualifies for state and federal funding.

The VNR range and current VNL models with a power rating of 455 horsepower and 1,650-lb-ft of torque can now be ordered with an engine which complies with the latest NOx and particulate regulations set down by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).