Tractor sales in the first quarter (April to June) of 2023-24 increased by 51.9% to register 14,479 units compared with 9,535 units in the same quarter of the previous year (FY 2022-23).

The FH – standing for ‘Forward control High entry’ – was launched to replace the ‘F’ series of trucks which had been in production for over 15 years.

The JV aims to manufacture battery cells for commercial electric vehicles at a 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory that is anticipated to cost between USD 2-3 billion. The emphasis is on pioneering better battery chemistries that last longer, are safer, lower in cost and are more environmentally sustainable, preferably without the need for nickel and cobalt raw materials.

The prototype truck is a 560-horsepower plug-in hybrid which pulls an 18-metre trailer installed with solar panels.

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.

Sales of medium and heavy-duty rigid trucks (7.5t gvw and above) in India experienced a contraction of 10.4% in Q1 (April-June) of FY2023-24 to register 52,356 units, down from 58,443 units in same quarter of the year 2022-23.

There are now seven autonomous FH trucks operating at the site, managed remotely via a touch screen in the wheel loader. 

Phillips says the restructure will encourage greater collaboration and cohesiveness across the company.

Latent demand has boosted sales of buses and coaches (7.5t GVW and above) in India, amongst other reasons, with registrations up by 38.9% in the first quarter (April to June) of the financial year 2023-24 to register 10,939 units compared with 7,876 units in the same quarter of the previous financial year (FY2022-23).

Corinne Aaron has been appointed as the new Chief Marketing Officer taking over from Linnéa Kornehed Falck, who will be focusing on her new role as Deputy CEO and Executive Member of the Board. 

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.

Toyota Tsusho Nexty Electronics Europe GmbH will supply Toyota’s proprietary fuel cell to Pepper Motion, including auxiliary components.