The retrofit subsidiary is now launching truck retrofits as a commercial service from its Bicester facility, claiming it can replace the diesel engine with an electric powertrain in just four weeks.

Its single-tyre configuration, high ground clearance, and robust exterior make it suitable for scenarios where customers “need extra capability in terms of offroad performance,” states Volvo.

Scania has become the first Western truck manufacturer to open a manufacturing facility in China under its sole ownership, following the inauguration of a new “global industrial hub” in Rugao, Jiangsu province on 15 October.

From a group of old farm buildings in Oxfordshire, one man hopes to change the world’s approach to decarbonising heavy vehicles. In 2022, James Budgett set up a holding company, Metier Ventures, and bought Metier Technologies Ltd, a company which he had established back in 1984, from foreign ownership. With financial support from a business partner, Budgett set the company on a new course: converting diesel trucks to run solely on hydrogen. Although the idea of retrofitting a used vehicle is not an original one, Metier’s proposed business model differs from the usual course of carrying out the conversion work on the diesel engine. Instead, Metier would replace the old engine entirely with a gas engine, fresh off the production line, with a few tweaks and some substitute parts so it will run on hydrogen. With this model, Budgett believes he can offer an attractive and scalable alternative that remains far cheaper than acquiring a brand-new electric vehicle.

VECV is introducing six models under the Pro Plus name.

The trucks are to be manufactured at Mahindra’s state-of-the-art facility in Chakan, Maharashtra.

Sales of medium and heavy-duty rigid trucks (7.5t GVW and above) in India declined by 3.3% in the first quarter of the new fiscal year of April to June 2025 (Q1 / FY2025-26), falling to 51,529 units from 53,015 units.

On 28 August, the company hosted an opening ceremony at the facility, which is located just 49 miles from downtown Los Angeles and now serves as its regional headquarters.

The ‘E-100e’ and ‘E-200e’ refrigeration units are lighter and more compact than the ‘E-500e’ system that launched in early 2024 and feature improvements in energy consumption and heating capacity.

Stellantis North America said it will discontinue development of the ‘Ram 1500 REV’ due to a decline in demand for electric vehicles in the North American market.

Sales of LCV goods carrier vehicles (light trucks) of GVW ≤ 7.5 tons in India remained steady, declining by just 0.6% to 122,627 units in the first quarter (April to June) of fiscal year of 2025 (Q1 FY2025-26) from 123,414 units in the same period of the previous year.

“Cargo Box” bodies, installed on a light commercial vehicle chassis powered by a battery electric driveline, are now being built in series in a dedicated “body shop” in the Atessa plant.

The new 9-metre bus, the ‘Avenue Neo’, is based on the manufacturer’s existing line of 9-metre electric buses, the ‘MD9 Electricity’, while featuring modern additions such as mirror cameras and other advanced driver assistance systems.

The low-entry 12-metre bus is powered by the combination of a 100-kW Ballard fuel cell and the Voith Electrical Drive System, delivering 410-kW peak power.

The ‘Futura 3’ is the successor to the second-generation VDL coach that was launched fifteen years ago, with a suite of advanced driver assistance systems bringing it up to date with the latest European safety regulations.

With its smaller dimensions compared to the 12-metre, the Urbino 10,5 boasts a turning radius of 16.7m, making it better suited to dense urban areas.

Volvo’s BZR Electric coach chassis will support a range of different configurations: lengths between 9.5 and 14.9 metres, two or three axles, and a gross vehicle weight of up to 27,200 kilograms.

Four years ago, Kerem Erman joined Turkish manufacturer Otokar as assistant general manager for commercial. Since then, the company’s revenues have increased “threefold”, Erman said during a recent conversation with Truck & Bus Builder.

Sales in Q3 totalled 13,627 units compared with 10,828 units.

The brand, called ‘Rightech’, has a strategic framework agreement with two Chinese manufacturers to distribute and service four vehicle models, two of which are trucks.

The company completed comprehensive testing of a Level 4 autonomous ‘e-Centro’ midi bus carried out by TÜV Rheinland at its “Smart City” test track in Hungary.

Urban bus designed for up to 29 passengers.

The 6-metre bus will serve in Ebbsfleet Valley, an area of major urban development between the Kentish towns of Dartford and Gravesend.

36,497 light duty buses were registered in the first threequarters of FY 2024-25.