Daimler Buses, MOIA, Ford, ZF, Ford Trucks and more

Daimler Buses has successfully tested its first all-electric intercity bus, the Mercedes-Benz eIntouro, under extreme winter conditions. Two production-close vehicles were tested in Rovaniemi, Finland, at temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Celsius on snowy and icy roads. The engineers relied entirely on publicly available charging infrastructure for the 3,000-kilometer journey from Neu-Ulm to Finland. At the testing site, the team focused on evaluating the behavior of the batteries and the electric drivetrain, including cold start performance, charging capabilities of the high-voltage system in extremely low temperatures, the cold protection of drivetrain components, software, interfaces, and thermal and energy management.

The mobility service provider MOIA, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, has begun testing autonomous driving in Norway. The fully electric ID. Buzz, equipped with autonomous driving technology, is the focus of these tests. Along with Austin, Munich, and Hamburg, MOIA is expanding the use of autonomous technology in extreme climatic conditions. The tests will focus on how fully autonomous vehicles perform in snow, ice, and low temperatures, as well as how the sensors work under limited visibility. Additionally, they will assess how the vehicles interact with the traffic infrastructure, such as snow-covered road markings and signs, and other road users. For safety, a driver will still be on board during the tests to intervene if necessary.

Ford has announced that it will integrate a self-developed heat pump into its electric vans. This patented technology, known as the Vapour-Injected Heat Pump (VIHP), will be standard in the E-Transit Custom, E-Tourneo Custom, and E-Transit models. The VIHP uses vapor injection to increase the heat pump’s efficiency. When the outside temperature rises above 25°C, the integrated cooling system will also draw heat from the cabin, reducing the battery power needed for the van’s air conditioning. Each model has undergone over 100 wind tunnel tests and 25,000 kilometers of real-world testing under various conditions. For the E-Transit with the large battery, the range improved by seven to ten percent compared to a version without the heat pump.

ZF Mobility Solutions, a subsidiary of the technology company ZF, has received approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to test its Level 4 autonomous driving system nationwide on public roads. Previously, such approvals were limited to specific routes or urban areas. ZF Mobility Solutions will focus on projects in public transportation. The approval does not apply to highways, motorways, or roads with a speed limit greater than 100 km/h. It is valid until the end of 2026 and can be extended until 2028. The first deployment took place in collaboration with Rheinbahn AG in Düsseldorf, where an autonomous transport system (ATS) was tested. ZF Mobility Solutions tested a short-term autonomous mobility solution with a safety driver on public roads on behalf of Rheinbahn AG.

The commercial vehicle manufacturers Ford Trucks and Iveco have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to jointly develop a new cab for heavy-duty trucks. This cab is designed to meet the upcoming EU Direct Vision standards and contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions through improved aerodynamics.

Both companies plan to produce the cabs at their own factories and develop specific design concepts to market them under their respective brands. The focus will be on cabin comfort, safety, aerodynamics, and modularity, with cost efficiency and compatibility with various drivetrains also taken into account. The first production-ready cabs are expected in 2028.