Siemens, MAN Truck & Bus, Hyundai, Iveco and much more

Siemens Smart Infrastructure and MAN Truck & Bus have released a white paper titled "Scenarios for a Climate-Neutral Road Freight Transport in Germany," highlighting the urgent need for a faster rollout of charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles. The document emphasizes the importance of close collaboration among various industry players to achieve climate-neutral scenarios for road freight transport. Charging infrastructure is identified as the "biggest pain point" in transitioning to climate-neutral mobility, according to Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. To meet the German government's goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in heavy road freight transport, about 10,000 public truck charging points, including 4,000 equipped with megawatt charging systems, are required by 2030. The white paper proposes specific measures to accelerate the development of charging infrastructure, such as providing high connection capacities and sufficient space, early involvement of network operators in network planning and site selection, establishing a central point of contact for the approval process for network connections, startup financing for electric commercial vehicles and charging infrastructure to ensure financial planning security for operators, and further promotion of standardization efforts. You can read the full white paper here:

Hyundai and the Iveco Group are joining forces and have announced a collaboration in development and deployment of electric heavy-duty trucks in Europe, encompassing both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. By leveraging advanced technologies and resources, both companies aim to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. In 2022, Hyundai and Iveco had already announced a partnership for electric commercial vehicles, which led to the introduction of the Iveco eDaily FCEV transporter and the E-Way H2 bus. Furthermore, this February, both companies announced an upcoming joint venture on a light battery-electric commercial vehicle. 

Additionally, Iveco recently signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ford Trucks to explore potential collaboration on developing a new cab for heavy commercial vehicles. 

The Traton brands Scania, MAN, and Navistar, are intensifying their efforts in developing autonomous trucks through a partnership with U.S.-based company Plus. The goal is to start real-world testing by 2024. Tests are planned in both the U.S. and Europe, with trucks currently operating between Södertälje and Nyköping in Sweden. The Traton brands aim production of autonomous trucks at SAE-Level 4 for global hub-to-hub operations.

Mack Trucks has introduced an electric truck, equipped with a gas-powered electricity generator, named the MD Electric. This electric truck boasts a 120-kW charging station located behind the driver's cabin, enabling the testing, and charging of electric trucks off the grid. The Mack MD Electric is equipped with a permanent magnet electric motor, delivering 260 horsepower. It draws power from NMC batteries totaling 240 kWh, offering a range of up to 230 miles.

Credobus, a Hungarian bus manufacturer, unveiled their new electric bus, the Electronell, which will be available in two versions: a 12-meter single-deck bus and an 18-meter articulated bus. The Electronell is distinguished by its lightweight construction, allowing for more efficient use of battery capacity. With a total battery capacity of 294 kWh for the single-deck version, Credobus promises a range of up to 186 miles. The electric drive is set to offer a peak power of 410 kW. Credobus plan to launch the Electronell in the first and second halves of 2024, initially in Hungary and later in other Central and Eastern European countries.

A consortium of leading companies and research institutions, named RiverCell3, is developing a powerful 500 kW hybrid fuel cell system for river ships. This methanol-based system aims to achieve technological maturity by the end of 2026, allowing for integration into a demonstrator vessel. Additionally, the consortium intends to create and validate simulation models and software tools for operating hybrid energy systems. Plans also include further development and testing of the methanol fuel cell generator system (MFCS) introduced in RiverCell2 into larger fuel cell modules equipped with innovative membrane technology. Partners in the project include Meyer Neptun Engineering, Siemens Energy Global, Lloyd’s Register (Germany EMEA branch), and the University of Applied Sciences Wismar – Department of Maritime Studies, Plant Technology, and Logistics.

Geely's electric vehicle brand, Zeekr, has applied for approval of a new model in China. The Zeekr Mix is a type of van, but with only five seats and smaller than Zeekr's larger van, the 009. The vehicle is reportedly set to be unveiled in April at the Beijing Auto Show, with plans to launch in Europe by 2025, according to the online portal "Car News China." 

During a visit to the Tesla factory in Grünheide, close to Berlin, Germany, Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested the production of Tesla's electric truck, the Tesla Semi, could take place at that location. This was reported by the Handelsblatt, among others, citing a video recording.