Author: Joshua Morris

Daimler Truck and its self-driving unit Torc Robotics have selected Innoviz Technologies as the supplier of short-range LiDAR sensors for their Level 4 autonomous trucking program, the companies said. Under the agreement, Innoviz will supply its InnovizTwo short-range LiDAR for integration into the autonomous version of the Freightliner Cascadia, Daimler Truck’s best-selling heavy-duty truck in North America. The system will operate alongside Torc’s virtual driver software as part of preparations for series production. See also: Aeva and Daimler Truck North America Expand Collaboration on 4D LiDAR for Autonomous Trucks The companies said the collaboration includes joint development work to tailor…

Wrightbus has appointed automotive industry veteran Axel J. Maschka as its new Chief Executive, marking a leadership transition at the Northern Ireland-based manufacturer as it continues to expand its battery-electric and hydrogen bus operations. Maschka succeeds Jean-Marc Gales, who led the company for two and a half years and will move into the role of deputy chairman from Dec. 1 to concentrate on Wrightbus’s global strategic development, the company said. See also: Wrightbus Expands Rapidly as Electric Buses Lead, Hydrogen Finds Targeted Role Maschka brings senior management experience from companies including Hyundai Mobis, Valeo, Volvo, Continental, Leclanché, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz.…

Commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus is switching to an intermodal, low-carbon logistics model for the delivery of its newly built vehicles, combining long-distance rail transport with battery-electric trucks for final customer delivery. Under the programme, developed with Austrian logistics group VEGA International, new trucks are shipped by train from MAN’s production facility in Krakow, Poland, to a rail terminal in Rheine, north-west Germany, before being delivered to customers within a 300-kilometre radius by fully electric MAN eTGX trucks. The initiative follows a trial phase using two battery-electric eTGX units and is now being expanded. VEGA plans to deploy…

Hyundai Motor Group will co-host the Hydrogen Council Global CEO Summit in Seoul from Dec. 2 to 4, deploying a fleet of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to handle all official transportation in what organizers say will be the first major business event to rely entirely on hydrogen-powered logistics. The summit is expected to draw about 200 executives from nearly 100 global hydrogen-related companies to discuss hydrogen’s role in the global energy transition. Hyundai will operate 50 NEXO fuel cell SUVs and six UNIVERSE hydrogen buses to transport participants during the event, highlighting South Korea’s hydrogen mobility infrastructure. See also:…

Autel has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Emarat EV Charging Stations Company (UAEV), the national charge point operator responsible for developing and operating the United Arab Emirates’ electric vehicle charging network, as both sides seek to advance smart charging and energy management technologies. The agreement was formalised during a UAEV delegation visit to Autel’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, where the companies discussed next-generation charging solutions tailored to the UAE’s mobility requirements and high-temperature operating conditions. The partnership covers collaboration in areas including vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interaction, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and intelligent charging platforms for the national network.…

Mitsubishi Fuso has signed a strategic agreement with electric vehicle startup REE Automotive to jointly develop software-defined vehicle (SDV) and x-by-wire technology for future medium-duty delivery trucks, the companies said, in a move aimed at accelerating next-generation commercial vehicle development. Under the partnership, the Japanese truck maker will use REE’s existing SDV architecture and its so-called “smart corner” x-by-wire system, which electronically controls key vehicle functions such as steering, braking and propulsion. The technology is designed to reduce mechanical complexity, lower fleet operating costs and support future autonomous and connected vehicle applications. See also: Mitsubishi Fuso, Mitsubishi Motors, Ample and…

Swedish battery-electric truck developer Einride has filed a lawsuit against Danish shipping and logistics group Maersk in California’s Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging the company withdrew from a high-profile U.S. electric freight initiative agreed in 2022. The March 2022 agreement outlined plans for Einride to supply 300 battery-electric Class 8 trucks, develop 150 charging stations, and integrate its digital freight-management platform across Maersk’s U.S. logistics operations. At the time, the project was presented as one of the largest proposed electric heavy-duty truck deployments in North America. See also: Einride to Go Public in $1.8 Billion SPAC Deal with Legato…

Volkswagen’s Brand Group Core (BGC) is overhauling its production governance by reorganising manufacturing operations into five regional production networks, a move the group says is aimed at improving efficiency, flexibility and cross-brand management. The restructuring affects Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Škoda, Seat, Cupra and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, which together form the automaker’s volume-brand division. Under the new framework, 22 production locations will be managed through a regionalised model with stronger cross-brand coordination in areas such as central planning, product management, project execution and logistics. “With our new structure of five production regions, we are positioning ourselves more efficiently and flexibly, laying…

Raytron has launched a line of advanced thermal-imaging cameras designed for commercial vehicles, aiming to provide wide-angle, all-weather perception for autonomous and assisted driving systems, the company said. The Pilot 180P system uses a triple-lens architecture to deliver a 180-degree horizontal field of view, helping to reduce blind spots common on large trucks, Raytron said. The technology is intended for heavy-duty and off-road environments—such as mines, ports and construction sites—where visible-light cameras and lidar can be degraded by darkness, dust or fog. By detecting heat signatures, thermal sensors maintain target detection of vehicles, people and animals regardless of lighting conditions,…

General Motors’ software and technology organization has seen the departure of three senior executives over the past month, as the U.S. automaker moves to consolidate its previously separate technology units under a new leadership structure. Baris Cetinok, senior vice president of software and services product management, is set to leave the company effective Dec. 12, CNBC first reported. His exit follows the recent departures of Dave Richardson, senior vice president of software and services engineering, and Barak Turovsky, who joined GM in March as head of artificial intelligence. Cetinok and Richardson both joined GM in 2023, and all three executives…

Britain will extend its electric vehicle subsidy programme to 2030 with an additional £1.3 billion in funding, while simultaneously introducing a new mileage-based tax for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from 2028, the government confirmed as part of its newly published budget plans. The latest funding follows reports earlier this week, based on leaked documents, that the government intended to expand support for electric vehicles. The confirmation brings total funding for the Electric Car Grant (ECG) to just under £2 billion, including £650 million already allocated earlier for the period from mid-2025 to the 2028/29 financial year. Under the current…

Sweden has amended its Traffic Ordinance to allow municipalities to permit electric and hydrogen-powered heavy trucks to operate at night in areas previously restricted for noise reasons, as part of efforts to support zero-emission logistics and reduce urban congestion. Under existing rules, many Swedish cities bar trucks weighing more than 3.5 tonnes from operating during night-time hours to limit disturbance to residents. The government said the significantly lower noise levels of electric and hydrogen vehicles make it possible to reconsider those restrictions without undermining noise protection goals. See also: Trailer Dynamics Secures €25 Million EIB Loan to Scale eTrailer Technology…

British battery recycling company Altilium has secured support from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Innovate UK to validate electric vehicle battery cells made using recycled anode and cathode materials, the company said. The project is designed to demonstrate the commercial feasibility, carbon reduction potential and supply-chain benefits of integrating recycled materials into next-generation EV batteries. Altilium said its proprietary EcoAnode and EcoCathode processes will be used to assess the performance and manufacturability of battery materials recovered from end-of-life electric vehicles. The company said its EcoCathode technology is capable of achieving recovery rates above 95% for…

Starbucks and Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging have opened their first jointly developed electric vehicle charging station in Red Bluff, California, marking the initial rollout of a planned fast-charging corridor along the Interstate 5 highway, the companies said. The site became operational ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving travel period and is open to all EV brands. The Red Bluff station features high-power chargers delivering up to 400 kilowatts, enabling compatible electric vehicles to add up to around 300 miles of driving range in about 10 minutes under optimal conditions. See also: Mercedes-Benz Tests Experimental ‘ELF’ Van to Explore Future of Intelligent and…

Automotive software company Danlaw has launched its CleverCharge Level 2 home electric vehicle charger, a system designed to manage up to four EVs or plug-in hybrids simultaneously through a single mobile application, the company said. The product enters the market as multi-EV households become more common in North America, with Black Friday promotional pricing starting at $499. At the core of the system is Danlaw’s patent-pending CleverKey technology, an OBD-II device that connects directly to a vehicle to extract battery and usage data. The charger uses this data to enable AI-driven features such as plug-in notifications, battery health diagnostics, estimated…

Finnish electric vehicle charging platform provider Virta and energy management company Voltalis have formed a partnership to develop and test smart charging solutions for electric vehicles, starting with pilot projects in Finland and Sweden. The companies said the initial phase will focus on demonstrating how controlled and data-driven charging can support grid stability and lower system costs by improving the balance between electricity supply and demand. See also: Virta Acquires Northe to Expand EV Fleet and Charging Platform Across Europe The collaboration will test the technical and economic interoperability between Voltalis’s virtual power plant (VPP) platform and Virta’s EV-focused VPP…

China’s BYD has produced 10,000 vehicles at its new factory in Camacari, Bahia, just four months after formally starting operation on July 1, underscoring the automaker’s rapid production ramp-up in Brazil, one of its key overseas growth markets. The Camacari plant currently assembles three models: the all-electric Dolphin Mini hatchback, known as the Seagull in China, the plug-in hybrid King sedan and the Song Pro crossover. The factory has a current annual production capacity of 150,000 units, with long-term plans to expand output to as many as 600,000 vehicles per year. See also: BYD Produces 14 Millionth New Energy Vehicle at…

KeolisAmey Docklands (KAD), the operator of London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR), said it is on track to fully electrify its car and van fleet by December 2025, completing the transition four years earlier than required under its contract with Transport for London (TfL). The company said the electrification mandate forms part of its new eight-year operating agreement, which originally set a five-year deadline. KAD reported that 64 percent of its fleet has already been replaced with electric vehicles, putting the operator on course to complete the transition this year. The previous fleet consisted of petrol and diesel models, which are…

CATL has introduced a right-hand-drive taxi model capable of battery swapping in Hong Kong, marking a significant expansion of the company’s regional swap-network efforts. The launch coincides with preparations for CATL’s first battery swap station in the city, according to a company statement released this week. The initiative is part of a broader collaboration involving CATL subsidiary Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology (CAES), Dragon Rise New Energy, FAW’s import-export division, and CATL’s joint venture with Didi. See also: GAC Aion Launches Aion UT Super Compact EV Featuring CATL’s Battery Swap Technology The groups signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Hong…

Aachen-based startup Trailer Dynamics has received a €25 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to accelerate the scaling, production and commercial launch of its eTrailer technology. The financing is supported by the EU’s InvestEU program, which aims to mobilise hundreds of billions of euros in public and private investment by 2027. Trailer Dynamics’ eTrailer is a semi-trailer equipped with its own electric powertrain, designed to reduce the load on the tractor unit regardless of whether it is powered by diesel, gas, batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. The company says pairing the trailer with a diesel tractor can cut…