European Union legislation targeting underrun protection came into effect on September 1, 2021. Aiming to increase safety for the occupants of smaller vehicles in the event of a rear-end collision with a larger trailer, the EU has imposed a reduction in the ground clearance of the underrun protection to no more than 450mm (previously 550mm).

The V-1000 is reportedly 25% more powerful than conventional diesel-powered units, with 33% greater airflow and 65% higher stand-by capacity.

ZF Group has entered a long-term agreement with Goodyear Operations SA whereby the companies plan to offer combined solutions for fleet and tyre management solutions.

AKASOL has signed a framework agreement to supply batteries to bus, coach and trailer builder, Van Hool NV of Koningshooikt, Belgium.

Temperature control specialist, Thermo King has introduced its latest, ultra-quiet addition to its Advancer A-Series trailer refrigeration system - the A-500 Whisper Pro.

Two years delayed, due to Covid 19, Dutch bus and coach builder, VDL, is planning to resume its plans to build a dedicated plant for electric bus production in Roeselare, Belgium with construction due to begin in the autumn of 2021.

The European Council has adopted the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility 2.0 programme, worth EUR33.71bn, which is now administered by CINEA to fund the development of high-performing, sustainable infrastructure in transport, digital and energy.

Bridgestone Corporation of Tokyo, Japan has launched a new flagship tyre for the city bus segment, the U-AP 002.

Tyre manufacturer, Bridgestone Corporation of Tokyo, Japan has announced all of its European tyre plants, European R&D Centre and Proving Ground in Rome, Italy, its PCT plant in Lanklaar, Belgium, textile plant in Usansolo, Spain and its EMIA headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, are now powered by electricity from 100% renewable sources.

Van Hool NV of Koningshooikt, Belgium, has set up a new subsidiary in the UK called Van Hool UK Ltd. Based in Wellingborough, it will undertake the import, distribution, sales and aftersales support of the company’s bus and coach products.

Truck manufacturers and environmentalists have joined forces to push for the deployment of 11,000 charging points for electric trucks across the EU by 2025, rising to 42,000 by 2030.

A new multi-billion Euro Digital Europe Programme has been given approval by the European Council (EC) to proceed. The programme is aimed at boosting digital transformation by providing funding for rolling out cutting-edge technology in crucial areas such as artificial intelligence, supercomputing and cybersecurity. With a budget of EUR7,588m, the programme is scheduled to run for the period 2021-2027, starting retroactively from January 1, 2021.