Executives claimed that they have an annual production capacity of 5,000 buses and a strategy to target the Middle Eastern and African markets.

Rose replaces former chairman Arik Steinberg, who is stepping down from REE’s Board of Directors.

MCV will produce the buses under licence at its facility in Egypt, employing chassis supplied from Volvo’s factories in Sweden.

Higer completed the delivery of 780 Higer Buses worth USD55m to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the “Belt and Road Initiative”, signifying the largest ever bus export from China to Saudi Arabia.

The company now aims to acquire certificates from FMVSS, as well as the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency, before the end of the year, making its ‘P7’ vehicles roadworthy and eligible for incentives.

The new test centre, jointly operated by FEV Group, in Oued Zem complements two cold weather sites in Finland, north of the Arctic Circle.

The vehicle presented at the show was a first demonstrator, but Schaeffler and VDL have plans to produce more, with the aim of commencing customer pilots in Germany in 2025.

Why do tech startups tend to concentrate in certain countries and regions? Or, to put it another way, why are some places more favourable to the growth of new companies than others? These are questions that bear greater relevance to the commercial vehicle industry today, as manufacturers search for partners to work with on the digital technologies which will make our trucks and buses smarter and more connected.

Articulated, full low floor and with capacity for 130 passengers, the urban AzureA18BR is imported CBU from China and offers an average range of 270 kilometres.

This challenge has been organised by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai and the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, involving six autonomous bus builders testing their respective autonomous driving capabilities in the hope of winning a lucrative government tender in the future.

The move to stricter emissions in January this year led to a fall in demand.

The weight of the new generation i6S Efficient has been reduced by 950 kgs and its emissions reduced by up to 13% compared with previous generations. The vehicle is available on any chassis on the market and in an integral version with two or three axles, from 10.78 to 15 metres, between 36 – 55 seats and DAF engines from 364 hp to 522 hp.