Kempower expects to offer boosted charging performance with its next-generation DC fast charging technology. Series production is set for late Q1 2024 in the Lahti plant in Finland and Q2 2024 in the North Carolina factory in the USA.

On 14 March, Schmitz Cargobull Ltd took over the King’s Suite of the Hilton Metropole, situated near the NEC in Birmingham, to launch the ‘S.KOe Cool’, an all-new fully-electric refrigerated semi-trailer which is the first of its kind to receive type approval for the European market.

From March 21 until the start of June 2024, travellers will be able to hop on the Yutong TCe12 electric coach on a Flix Bus route between London, Bristol and Newport (South Wales).

Kempower has won a grant for EUR 10 million from Business Finland, a state development agency, to develop a heavy-duty electric truck charging network across the country. The government funds will be paid over five years, whilst an additional EUR 20 million will finance future projects under the charging infrastructure development programme (Heavy Electric Traffic Ecosystem).

RTM has ordered 200 new generation 12.1 metre GX 337 ELEC single-deck buses, equipped with pantograph charging rails. The first 35 will be delivered by Q4 2024, with the order set to be completed by Q4 2027. The model will be manufactured at Heuliez’s plant in Rorthais.

Once valued at GBP 200 million (2022), the company has blamed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for pushing back the ban on ICE vehicles. Lunaz has ceased operations of its commercial unit ahead of a restructuring, with plans to revive its passenger car repowering business in the near future.

MAN opened its first battery repair centre in 2020, located between Hanover and Laatzen in the German state of Lower Saxony.

The total number of city buses with alternative drivelines in European Union 27 countries plus the UK, Norway (NO), Iceland (ICE) and Switzerland (EU 27+4) totalled 13,466 units  comprising 6,354 electric buses (excludes trolley buses), 4,022 hybrid-electric buses, 2,883 CNG buses and 207, hydrogen (fuel cell) buses.

Bus and coach deliveries in Europe* reversed a three year downward trend in 2023 increasing by almost 21% (*Countries EU27+UK+ICE+NO+CH).

The jointly developed sLH2 process of handling subcooled liquid hydrogen allows for a higher storage density, a greater range, more energy efficiency and faster refuelling times, superior on all metrics. The first public sLH2 pilot station has been opened in Wörth am Rhein, Germany, and is provided with liquid hydrogen by Linde.

The German Ministry of Transport confirmed to local media, that this is the last time the federal government funds or subsidises e-buses or e-trucks. Funds allocated for projects up until 2027 will remain. A combination of high inflation, energy instability (gas supply from Russia) and a downturn in productivity has resulted in the German government revising its 2024 economic forecast down from 1.3% to just 0.2%.

In an attempt to generate operational capital, the Board approved plans for an accelerated book-build offering of newly issued ordinary shares at an extraordinary general meeting on 29 January 2024.