With more than 100 Bluebird Corporation buses now in operation with Cummins’ electric drivetrain in the USA and 65 buses on order with its transit bus builder partner, Gillig Corporation, and a number of key prospect electrification contracts in both the truck and bus segments on the horizon, the Cummins Electrified Power Business is expecting to ramp up its electrical drive systems over the coming months.

February 27, 2020, was the official date for compliance for fitment of fire suppression equipment in new coaches above 8t gvw in Turkey, according to local representative of advanced fire-safety technology specialist, Kidde Technologies Inc, at Busworld Turkey 2020 last month.

Developer and manufacturer of high-performance lithium-ion battery systems, AKASOL AG, has engaged the services of Manz AG to supply fully automated production lines for producing high-energy battery modules for commercial vehicles at its Gigafactory facility in Darmstadt.

TEMSA North America Inc in January at the UMA Motorcoach EXPO 2020, held in Nashville, launched its first ever full size three-axle electric coach, the TS45E.

The latest Euro VI Phase-D design evolution of the Cummins 2.8-litre and 3.8-litre F Series engines is being launched at Busworld Turkey this month.

Dana Inc has started production of its Spicer Electrified eS9000r e-Axle for Class 4 and Class 5 commercial fleet applications.

At the annual American Bus Association marketplace event held in Omaha last month, Temsa North America Inc displayed the TS30 30-foot (31.1ft) integral coach model it is reintroducing to the North American market after an absence of two years.

Transit buses, school buses and intercity / tour coach segments are on different trajectories when looking at global bus demand, stated Veerender Kaul, global vice-president commercial mobility at Frost and Sullivan talking at Busworld Academy North America about the global and North American bus and coach markets.

Thomas Built Buses is to supply the first 50 of its ‘Jouley’ electric school buses to the state of Virginia.

Last month the Lion Electric Company delivered five all-electric school buses to Twin Rivers Unified School District in Sacramento which were funded by the California Energy Commission as part of the School Bus Replacement Programme in the state.

Daimler Buses has announced it is restructuring its touring coach business in the USA and Canada.

BYD North America Inc of Los Angeles says its dedicated electric bus plant in Lancaster which operates under the name of BYD Coach & Bus Factory, has produced its 400th electric bus; this was its 60-foot articulated K11M model built for the Los Angeles World Airports, which forms part of a 20 unit bus order.