Author: Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle is a commercial electric vehicle journalist at EVMagz.com, covering electric vans, trucks, bus fleets, and the transition of logistics and public transport operators toward zero-emission mobility. His reporting focuses on fleet electrification strategy, vehicle technology, charging deployment, and the economic impact of electrification across global commercial transport markets.
Logistics company Dachser has expanded its emission-free urban delivery programme to 25 major cities and metropolitan regions across Europe, using electric vehicles and cargo bikes to handle last-mile shipments without local emissions. The initiative, operating under the “Dachser Emission-Free Delivery” programme, combines battery-electric trucks, electrically assisted cargo bikes and micro-hubs near city centres to manage urban deliveries. The concept was first introduced in 2018 and has steadily expanded across Europe. See also: Dachser Deploys First BYD Electric Trucks for Urban Deliveries in Spain The programme now operates in ten countries, covering cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, London, Madrid, Munich,…
German commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus plans to invest around €300 million to expand and modernise its European service network by 2030, with a portion of the funding allocated to electric mobility and digitalisation. The company said roughly €100 million of the investment will focus on preparing sales and service sites for electric vehicles and improving digital capabilities. According to MAN, the programme represents the largest investment initiative in the company’s service network in its history. The funding will be made possible through savings from the company’s MAN2030+ efficiency programme announced earlier this year, which aims to reduce…
Automotive supplier Webasto has expanded its thermal management portfolio with the launch of the Cool Top 120-e, a fully electric rooftop air conditioning system designed for battery-electric light commercial vehicles. The system is intended for vehicles equipped with a 400-volt DC electrical architecture, including minibuses, vans and ambulances. According to Webasto, the new unit delivers up to 12 kW of cooling capacity and operates within a voltage range of 250 to 460 volts DC. The Cool Top 120-e measures 1.61 × 1.2 × 0.30 metres and weighs around 80 kilograms. It uses the refrigerant R1234yf, which the company says has…
U.S. commercial electric vehicle manufacturer Xos has introduced a new medium-duty electric truck chassis starting at $99,000, aiming to make fleet electrification more affordable while maintaining competitive performance against diesel models. The 2026 model-year Class 6 chassis is designed for delivery, logistics and vocational applications, offering zero tailpipe emissions and lower total cost of ownership, according to the company. Xos counts major fleet operators such as Loomis, Penske and UPS among its customers. Chief Executive Dakota Semler said the new platform reflects nearly a decade of development. “The 2026 launch represents everything we’ve built at Xos over nearly 10 years…
Renault Group has agreed to acquire full ownership of Flexis, the electric van joint venture it launched in 2024 with the Volvo Group and logistics company CMA CGM, consolidating control of the project as it prepares to bring a new generation of battery-electric light commercial vehicles to market. Under the agreement, Renault will purchase the combined 55% stake held by Volvo Group and CMA CGM, subject to regulatory approvals. Renault and Volvo each currently own 45% of the company, while CMA CGM holds the remaining 10%. Financial terms were not disclosed. “This agreement marks a major milestone for the project…
operating from Dachser logistics centers in Barcelona and Valencia following a months-long trial in which company staff drove an ETM6 approximately 3,500 kilometers to assess performance under real-world conditions. The compact vehicle offers a payload of up to four tonnes, a 126 kWh battery and a range of about 200 kilometers, making it suited to urban distribution routes. Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Kempten, Germany, Dachser has been expanding its electric transport capabilities for several years. The company currently operates about 160 battery-electric trucks above 3.5 tonnes across Europe and has installed more than 800 charging points powered by…
U.S. regulators are reviewing whether heavy-duty electric trucks present different safety risks when transporting hazardous materials, reopening long-standing technical debates as battery-powered freight vehicles begin limited commercial use, industry publication Freight Waves reported. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has launched a Request for Information (RFI) to assess the safety of using heavy-duty electric trucks in hazardous materials transport. The agency is asking stakeholders to compare electric and diesel vehicles across a range of technical and operational criteria. See also: Volvo to Supply Electric Trucks for New York Food Distribution Under…
Dutch truck maker DAF Trucks has delivered 33 battery-electric tractor units to German logistics operator Contargo, lifting the number of electric trucks in Contargo’s fleet to 90 as the company steps up the electrification of its container transport operations. The vehicles, all from the XD Electric series, will be deployed across 15 locations in Germany and are expected to make up nearly one-third of Contargo’s battery-electric fleet once fully integrated. DAF described the handover as “one of the largest simultaneous deliveries of battery-electric trucks in Germany,” with the trucks entering service over the coming weeks. See also: Royal Mail Begins…
panish bus maker Irizar will deliver its first electric vehicles to the Netherlands after securing an order from Arriva Personenvervoer Nederland for 39 battery-electric buses, the companies said. The order comprises 18 standard 12-metre units and 21 articulated 18-metre units of Irizar’s ie tram model. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery in December 2026 and will be deployed in the Oost-Brabant region, operating primarily on a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor serving Tilburg and ’s-Hertogenbosch. Irizar said the contract marks its entry into the Dutch market for electric buses. “We would like to thank Arriva for putting their trust in…
Scania said its L-series low-entry cab has received a five-star safety rating, the highest possible score, under the Safer Trucks programme run by Euro NCAP, following independent consumer testing. The vehicle assessed was an electric version of the L-cab configured for the utility segment, which includes refuse collectors and other essential service trucks operating primarily in urban environments. The rating highlights the cab’s strong performance in direct vision and both active and passive safety measures. Designed for demanding city and vocational use, the L-cab features a low-entry layout aimed at improving driver visibility and reducing risks to vulnerable road users.…
The British government has allocated an additional £18 million ($22.9 million) to support the adoption of electric lorries, increasing purchase incentives for freight forwarders and fleet operators as part of a broader push to decarbonise road transport. The funding, announced by the UK government and administered through the Plug-in Van and Truck Grant, raises maximum subsidies sharply depending on vehicle weight. Electric lorries weighing more than 26 tonnes can now qualify for grants of up to £120,000, while smaller electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are eligible for support ranging from £20,000 to £80,000. The new funding extends the scheme until…
Kiira Motors has completed a high-profile trans-African tour using a battery-electric coach, covering more than 13,000 kilometres across six countries in a bid to demonstrate the feasibility of electric public transport on the continent. The 39-day journey, known as the Made in Uganda Grand Trans-Africa Electric Expedition, took the electric bus from Uganda to Cape Town and back. The expedition used the Kayoola Electric Coach 13M, an intercity battery-electric bus developed by Kiira Motors and designed to address growing demand for cleaner and more efficient public transport solutions in Africa. While the company sources many of its key components from…
Canadian miner Eldorado Gold has placed an order worth about SEK 160 million ($17 million) for additional battery-electric mining equipment from Sandvik, as it moves to further reduce emissions at its underground operations. The order, placed late last year, covers ten electric mining assets and follows Eldorado Gold’s initial purchase of two battery-electric haul trucks from Sandvik in 2024. The expanded order brings the miner’s planned electric fleet to a total of 12 units, reflecting satisfaction with the performance of the earlier deliveries, Sandvik said. See also: EIB Provides €500 Million Loan to Support Sandvik’s Next-Generation Electric Equipment Development “Sandvik…
Swiss public transport operator Bus Ostschweiz has placed 14 new battery-electric buses into regular service across several regions in eastern Switzerland following a timetable change on Dec. 14, marking a further step toward its goal of fully electrifying its fleet by 2036. The rollout introduces battery-electric buses for the first time in the Oberthurgau and Sargans–Werdenberg regions. Five of the new vehicles have been allocated to the Sargans depot, where they will operate on multiple routes, including rail replacement services for Rhaetian Railway. On evening services between Chur and Landquart, electric buses are being deployed on a targeted basis, the…
The Skoda Group has secured two public tenders to supply a total of 75 new trolleybuses to Sofia, expanding its presence in the Bulgarian capital’s public transport fleet. The contracts comprise 35 standard 12-metre trolleybuses and 40 articulated 18-metre vehicles, with a combined value of €56.19 million, Skoda said. The win follows an earlier order in 2021, when the Czech manufacturer delivered 30 low-floor trolleybuses to Sofia under a deal worth around €20 million. Under the first contract, Skoda will deliver 35 units of its 12-metre Skoda 32Tr low-floor trolleybus. The model has a passenger capacity of up to 95…
Kia’s PV5 electric van has secured a series of international awards for safety, design and efficiency during its first year on the market, underlining the company’s ambitions in the electric light commercial vehicle segment. The PV5, Kia’s first dedicated all-electric Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV), was named 2026 International Van of the Year, becoming the first Korean and Asian electric vehicle to receive the title. The award was decided unanimously by a jury of 26 commercial vehicle journalists, who cited the model’s modular architecture and real-world efficiency. See also: Kia PV5 Electric Van Wins 2026 International Van of the Year Award…
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Postal Service (USPS) have both halted the use of electric vans supplied by the now-bankrupt EV startup Canoo. The decisions mark the abandonment of two high-profile government vehicle programs that Canoo had secured prior to its financial collapse. NASA, which purchased three Canoo EVs in 2023 for transporting astronauts to the launchpad for its Artemis lunar missions, informed media that Canoo “was no longer able to meet our mission requirements.” As of October, the space agency confirmed it is leasing the Airstream-built “Astrovan” from Boeing for its crewed…
MAN Truck & Bus has delivered the first two units of its long-haul electric truck, the eTGX, to the Italian transport company Koinè. The battery-electric vehicles will be immediately integrated into the logistics operations of the beverage manufacturer Sanpellegrino, a brand owned by Nestlé Waters. The delivery marks the beginning of a multi-year fleet transition plan, under which Koinè, one of Europe’s largest logistics providers operating nearly 1,000 vehicles, intends to acquire up to 50 eTGX units from MAN. See also: MAN Truck & Bus Launches Battery Production at Nuremberg Plant, Plans €150 Million Expansion Koinè, based between Bergamo and…
DSV, the global transport and logistics company, has deployed its first 8-ton electric truck in South Africa, in partnership with Volvo Trucks. The vehicle is the first of three scheduled to join the company’s Air & Sea fleet following successful operational trials, significantly boosting DSV’s local electrification drive. The deployment builds upon earlier steps taken three years ago, which included the introduction of a 4-ton electric truck and an electric van. With the addition of the new Volvo 8-ton trucks, 15 per cent of DSV’s current fleet in South Africa will now be fully electric. See also: DSV Introduces Volvo…
The Port of Houston this week deployed its first electric reach stacker as part of efforts to electrify cargo-handling operations and reduce emissions at one of the United States’ busiest seaports, according to Houston Terminal and equipment supplier Equipment Depot. The new machine, built by Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer SANY, is a 50-ton electric reach stacker that uses a regenerative braking system integrated into its boom to generate electricity as loads are lowered, improving overall operating efficiency and reducing charging-related downtime. The unit was launched earlier this year and is the first of its kind to enter service at the…