Readers may recall that, two years ago, we published a feature on TCCI Manufacturing, explaining why the longstanding Midwest supplier of compressors had decided to invest in a new facility on its home turf in Decatur, Illinois. In that article, Richard and Kara Demirjian outlined their plan to open a 260,000-square-foot “Clean Energy Innovation Hub” comprised of three facilities: a plant dedicated to the production of compressors for electric vehicles; a whole-vehicle test centre; and an academy to train the next generation of EV technicians. The innovation hub was officially unveiled by the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, at the end of April 2025, and so Truck & Bus Builder used the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo to get an update on TCCI’s newest investment.

It is less than a year since German automotive components giant Schaeffler merged with Vitesco Technologies Group to form a single “motion technology company”. Retaining the Schaeffler name, the new company is now in the process of combining the two product lines of Schaeffler and Vitesco together under a single brand. At the company’s stand at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo – held between 28 April and 1 May in Anaheim, California – the two companies’ portfolios were nearly indistinguishable. It marked the first time that the newly-merged company presented itself as a supplier of comprehensive system solutions to the North American commercial vehicle market.