Stagecoach told Truck & Bus Builder that the 715 buses come from a range of different suppliers, including: Alexander Dennis; Wrightbus; Pelican Yutong; and Volvo Buses.

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.

Brigade voluntarily submitted their key products, including Sidescan Predict and Radar Predict, to independent testing at Loughborough University, where they passed the new Progressive Safe System (PSS) requirements for both Blind Spot Information Systems (BSIS) and Moving Off Information Systems (MOIS).

In July, American powertrain manufacturer, Cummins Inc, opened a new test facility at its engine plant in Darlington in the northeast of England, with the attendance of T&BB and other members of the trade press. The company has carried out engine testing at Darlington for many years, but the new facility represents a definitive change in approach to product development and evaluation. While the older test cells are solely designed to assess engines, the new facility can accommodate an entire truck or bus for whole vehicle testing. Moreover, the building which houses the new facility is specifically made to safely test gas and hydrogen combustion vehicles.

Incentives include tax exemptions of between two and eight years, financial support and streamlined regulations (with other nations).

The state government of Western Australia, together with the federal government, is committing AUD125m towards the manufacture of buses on the BZL Electric chassis in Perth.

The EV & Future Mobility Park is being created on 300 acres in Shoolagiri, Krishnagiri District.

The funding will cover both the purchase of electric buses and the installation of necessary charging infrastructure. Each school bus can receive up to USD 470,000 in grants, which includes up to USD 95,000 for charging infrastructure.

The ’CoacH2’ project, worth GBP1.2m and including partners such as Translink and Queen’s University Belfast, aims to produce an electric vehicle which can meet the demands of coach operation, including heavy payloads and long-distance routes.

The proof-of-concept vehicle was assembled, deployed and tested at the MIRA Technology Park in Nuneaton, UK. The prototype is expected to be tested by operators and OEMs during the rest of 2024.

The projects cover five topic areas, including components for hydrogen fuelling of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and standardised hydrogen refuelling stations.

Sourcewell is a U.S. government agency which handles procurement on behalf of more than 50,000 participating entities.