Higer imports buses to South America via a JV in Brazil.

February saw PepsiCo take delivery of its first electric heavy-duty truck in Brazil; a semi-heavy rigid (15t ≤ gvw up to 40 tons) P25 6x2 Scania truck, produced in Sweden, which is to be used for internal logistics goods distribution operations between PepsiCo’s four factories* in the state of São Paulo.

Volvo NA has not divulged the location of the newly announced plant in Mexico, but it will reportedly cover 1.7m square feet when it is opened for production in two years’ time.

The facility, which is at full-scale production, manufactures drive belts for the North American market to fulfil increased aftermarket and light vehicle demand.

Charging infrastructure is continually being built to support additional battery electric truck deployments. DTNA’s truck manufacturing plant in Santiago TMP, Monterrey, has been designated as a new site for the second commercial vehicle charging facility in Mexico, which will be equipped with a Detroit eFill charger, boasting a charging capacity of up to 120kW.

Volvo says there is a burgeoning market in China for its heavy truck models, particularly in the premium segment.

Another city in Brazil, this time a city with hot temperatures of up to 41 deg. C, Cuiabá of Mato Grosso State, has begun testing China’s Higer electric 12m low floor bus, the Azure A12BR e-bus.

In the opening pages of its very first sustainability report, published in 2019, Iochpe-Maxion proclaimed its interest in “establishing a position of transparency for the market and society”. The Brazilian company – originally a logging firm and now one of the largest manufacturers of wheels and structural components for automotives and commercial vehicles – had pursued certain sustainability objectives prior to 2019, but these had been managed individually by its numerous subsidiaries.

Fenatran triggers largest order for IVECO Latin America.

The e-Sys is an electric energy recovery and auxiliary traction system developed exclusively by Randoncorp subsidiaries. The Mexican market, according to Suspensys, on average is 25,000 new semi-trailers per year, and is the second largest in Latin America, behind Brazil.

Transport operator, VIX Logística S.A. has started testing its first converted (retrofitted) electric heavy-duty truck in Brazil. Named Atlas, it has a maximum traction capacity (CMT) of 120 tons and has an electric motor with a power output of 450 kW (600 hp).

The Volvo FH 540 heavy truck ended 2023 repeating the same feat of the previous five years.