Zhija, established in 2016, is understood to be the first company in China to be awarded a licence to carry out heavy-duty autonomous truck trials on the country’s open roads.

Kia unveiled a range of highly customizable PBV models and related eco-system during 2024 at various key shows; CES in Las Vegas, Busan Mobility Show in South Korea and at IAA in Hannover, Germany.

Testing and validation will take place at Fortescue’s iron ore operations in Christmas Creek, Western Australia.

The facility is to be built next to the company’s main truck manufacturing plant in Kawasaki in partnership with Singapore-based True 2 Materials Pte Ltd (T2M).

The reason: Hino Motors concluded that it is “unlikely that the business of Shanghai Hino will grow in a sustainable manner” due mainly to growing sales of electric-powered commercial vehicles and construction machinery in China.

Isuzu said the two companies, “Plan to accelerate joint development of Level 4 autonomous trucks based on a partnership strategy that spans five years."

Scania has had a presence in Thailand since 1986 and has been represented both by private distributor and as part of the joint Scania-owned South East Asia Business Unit.

Both companies are heavily invested in hydrogen as a clean fuel transportation solution.

Inchcape confirmed that would start selling a range of Foton new energy and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, including pickups, vans and trucks, in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Dongfeng said “the move to assemble the ‘Captain’ range locally positions Dongfeng as a strong player in Malaysia’s light-duty truck market."

This move came as the company struggled with debts exceeding USD 35 million, prompting them to seek assistance in managing their financial challenges​. The company currently has manufacturing plants in Queensland and South Australia, producing diesel, hybrid and zero-emission buses.

In June, Phan Phạm Hà, the company’s General Director was arrested for financial management violations – causing the company’s stock price to plunge.