On the top of his agenda will be revising the proposed Euro VII emissions regulation, criticised for slowing down the transition to climate neutrality.

Luca de Meo, CEO of Groupe Renault, will serve as ACEA President in 2023, replacing outgoing BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) CEO, Oliver Zipse who has held the position for the last two years.

The ACEA published a position paper which reviews the current European Council directive on the maximum weights and dimensions of heavy-duty vehicles and provides recommendations for changes which it believes would be more accommodating to zero-emission vehicles.

The regulations which have been proposed - comprising packaging and recycling requirements - would cover the entire life cycle of the battery.

This is the first of an 879-order comprising 636 two-axle 4x4 trucks for general transportation purposes and 243 four-axle 8x8 trucks for specific applications such as tipping, container transport and crane operation.

Five E-Tech D and D Wide trucks have already been delivered to Antwerp, while the remainder will be delivered to manufacturing and distribution sites in Ghent, East Flanders and Chaudfontaine, Liège.

Simply called ‘Van Hool T’, the new range, which offers improvements in aerodynamics, design, comfort, and safety, will replace the current ‘T9’ and ‘TX’ series of touring coaches for the European market.

By 2030, PowerCo hopes to receive up to 40-GWh worth of critical battery materials from Umicore – enough to make batteries to supply 550,000 EVs annually. 

Thermo King is partnering with refrigerated vehicle leasing firm Petit Forestier and the Institut Français de Formation en Énergétique (IFFEN) to offer a work-study training programme for budding young transport refrigeration technicians in France.

The European Union published two amendments to its existing regulations concerning the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of heavy-duty vehicles, extending compliance to trailers, semi-trailers, medium trucks and buses and coaches. 

The proposed measures, applying to cars, vans, trucks and buses, are set to come into effect in 2025 and 2027, but they have been criticised by ACEA for being over-stringent, especially for heavier vehicles.

The C-550, C-650 and C-750 have maximum power ratings of 5.2 kW, 6 kW and 6.8 kW respectively, and will serve small trucks and vans with bodies of up to 52 cubic metres.