Macon, Georgia-based school bus builder Blue Bird Corp has entered the truck segment with the announcement of its Class 5-6 EV stripped chassis at ACT Expo in Long Beach, California.

Freightliner Trucks, a division of Daimler Truck North America LLC, unveiled its new eCascadia at ACT Expo in Long Beach, California. The eCascadia, built on Freightliner’s popular Cascadia Class 8 platform, is designed for short-haul applications that support depot charging

Sea Electric Holdings Pty Ltd, based in Los Angeles, California, showcased a Class 6 EV stripped chassis at the ACT Expo in Long Beach. Named the SV6, the firm states that the chassis is suitable for all urban applications up to a GVWR of 22,000lbs (9,980kg).

Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co has received an order from Penske Truck Leasing for 750 units of its E-Transit cargo van. Initially, Penske’s E-Transit vans will be made available in Southern California, with other locations in the US to be phased in later in the year.

EV charging start-up Tecso ChargeZone has announced that, through its partnership with various state departments, it has installed a network of over 125 DC fast-chargers for city buses and other public transport services in cities such as Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Patna, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Kanpur and Varanasi, among others.

The EV components supplier has formed a strategic partnership with Enedym to develop magnet-less next-generation switched reluctance motors (SRM), electric propulsion, and electrified powertrains for the Indian market - with the aim of beginning series production in 2023.

The E-Tech Master OptiModale is a battery-electric box truck with two compartments which open to reveal storage and charging spaces for an electric cargo bike and a parcel-carrying drone.

Tata Motors has been announced as the lowest bidder in a mega tender for 5,450 electric buses from Convergence Energy Services (CESL) under the remodelled FAME II scheme.

The components division of DAF Trucks N.V. is set to supply 100 PACCAR MX-11 engines to Turkish bus manufacturer Otokar. The Euro VI engines will be fitted to 100 Otokar Metrobuses for operation in Istanbul.

Truck builder Acela Inc, based in Bozeman, Montana, has released a new 4x4 fire truck chassis, named the Straya. The company claims it is the first ever purpose-built wildland/urban fire truck chassis.

BYD Europe, the subsidiary of BYD Auto Co, has received an order for 48 units of its 12-metre low-entry e-bus from Hungary’s largest public transport operator, Volánbusz Zrt.

BAE Systems Inc has entered into an agreement with Hometown Manufacturing Inc to supply the firm with full-system electric drivetrains and power electronics for its heavy-duty buses.