According to SMMT’s own post-show review, “more than 400 senior representatives from industry, government, and the infrastructure, energy, fleets, insurance and logistics sectors” were in attendance to discuss “the transition to zero emission mobility”. Certainly, the conference drew a large and diverse crowd of people, but while the auditorium spilled over with attendees, the speeches and panel discussions were light on substance. Lilian Greenwood, Member of Parliament and undersecretary to the transport secretary, did not explain how the Starmer government would provide certainty to the industry in its transition to electric, other than a bland assertion that the 2030 and 2035 bans on combustion-engine cars and vans, which have already been moved twice, were “iron-clad” targets that the current government would stick to.

This month, our focus shifts to Europe, where the European Union (EU) has rolled back its CO₂ targets.

Comgás installing natural gas refuelling stations for three major operating companies Ypê, Nelcar and Grupo SADA in the state of São Paulo.

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.

In early 2023, a new name was introduced to the commercial vehicle industry: “Accelera by Cummins”. It was the result of eight separate acquisitions made by parent company Cummins Inc over a period of as many years, all of them connected, albeit in different ways, to zero-emission technology. Naturally, Cummins wished to differentiate its new purchases from its ongoing engine business, and it is not the only legacy manufacturer to attempt a rebrand for its electric vehicle products (a la General Motors’ “Brightdrop” and Shyft Group’s “Blue Arc”). But it also aims to weld its acquisitions together into a single, cohesive unit capable of delivering “end-to-end electric solutions”. Molly Hale – who is the marketing communications manager for Accelera – explained: “There was this belief that we needed to have an identity all our own, to go to the market and explain the depth of the commitment and the depth of the investments in these technologies.”

The aim of the project is to convert, rather than replace, current engines on the road, which would negate the need for “significant investment in supply chain manufacturing and assembly infrastructure”.

Research expected to open up new markets for KGM.

The money will help to fund 4,900 electric charging points and alternative fuel stations across the trans-European road network.

Hino pays a reported US1.6bn to settle the case.

This vehicle is being utilised for regional distribution and long-haul deliveries as part of a UK-funded government project to demonstrate how battery-electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) can effectively replace conventional HGVs at scale on the UK road network.

Whilst making the argument that Europe can maintain competitiveness whilst reaching its climate goals, the Union faces a multitude of issues relating to the rise of the Chinese EV automotive industry, pending American tariffs from the new Trump regime, internal political instability and unforeseen market reluctance relating to the uptake of zero-emission trucks.