BYD Supplies 20 Electric Buses to UC Irvine

BYD to Supply Electric Trucks and Buses to United States

BYD California’s truck and bus facility isn’t much to look at – an elderly concrete tilt-up in a mostly still unbuilt industrial center in Lancaster, a high-desert community about 70 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. But things are changing for the electric vehicle maker, a unit of China’s giant BYD Co. BYD has started a factory expansion on a 200,000-square-foot lot in front of the former recreational vehicle assembly…

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Ford Launches Commercial Vehicle Program

Ford Launches New Commercial Vehicle Program

Ford is launching the Commercial Vehicle Center dealer program that will replace the Business Preferred Network (BPN) and offer improved service, better parts availability and a new loyalty program, Ford announced. The program is rolling out at 650 of Ford’s more than 3,000 dealers in the U.S. and replaces a program that was heavily used by smaller fleets to set up work trucks and vans. Much like a BPN dealer, a Commercial…

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2017 Navistar International Trucks Recall

Navistar, Inc. (Navistar) is recalling certain 2017 International ProStar, LoneStar, 9900i, and TranStar trucks. The affected vehicles have a metallic battery cover latch that may unlatch and contact the battery jump start stud, causing an electrical short to ground if the jump start stud is not covered. CONSEQUENCE: An electrical short to ground increases the risk of a fire in these trucks. REMEDY: Navistar will notify owners, and dealers will…

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Penske Rental Trucks with Collision Avoidance

Penske Rental Trucks with Collision Avoidance

Penske Truck Rental is making collision avoidance systems and air disc brakes its standard spec on commercial tractors within its rental fleet. “These added vehicle features underscore our commitment to over-the-road safety for our commercial truck rental customers and their drivers,” said Don Mikes, senior vice president of rental at Penske. “These systems can help commercial drivers avoid collisions and the braking system provides additional stopping power when needed.” Penske has…

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Mercedes-Benz Autonomous Delivery Van

Mercedes-Benz Autonomous Delivery Van

At last year’s IAA show in Hannover, Germany, Mercedes-Benz Vans unveiled its drone-delivery Vision Van and teased the press with its Vans & Robots concept. On the eve of the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Stefan Maurer, head of future transportation for Mercedes-Benz Vans, went into greater detail about its ideas for incorporating new robot technologies in its Sprinter van to better optimize last-mile delivery in an ever-increasing…

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Bendix Unveils New Truck Information Site

Bendix Launches New Online Trucking Industry Resource

Bendix has launched a new center of commercial vehicle information at its website safertrucks.com, centered around a new multimedia center called the Knowledge Dock. The Knowledge Dock aims to help trucking professionals stay connected to the industry by providing updates on developments in truck operation, maintenance and safety. It also examines trucking trends and technology developments. It contains a growing list of videos, blog posts, podcasts and white papers from…

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Electric Truck Sales to Increase Tenfold

Electric Truck Sales Predicted to Increase Ten Fold

According to a new report from Navigant Research, global annual electric powered medium-duty and heavy-duty truck sales are expected to grow from about 31,000 vehicles in 2016 to nearly 332,000 by 2026. The report forecasts sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks for each major world region — segmented by electrified powertrain type, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell — through 2026. As local and national governments…

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Renault to Export & Assemble Trucks in Iran

Renault Trucks to be Imported and Assemble in Iran

Renault Trucks has signed two agreements with Iranian importer Arya Diesel Motors. The agreements cover the import of vehicles from the T, C, and K ranges, and the assemble of T range vehicles in Iran, according to Renault. The first agreement covers the import, distribution, and after-sales service of the T, C, and K range trucks. The agreement furthers the working partnership between Renault Trucks and Arya Diesel Motors that…

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Nikola One Prototype Marks End of Diesel Era

nikola one class 8 hydrogen electric hybrid comercial truck

Nikola Motor Co. on Thursday unveiled a working prototype of Nikola One, the company’s fully electric, zero-emissions Class 8 truck. The truck’s fully electric drivetrain is powered by high-density lithium batteries. The truck’s electricity is supplied on-the-go by a hydrogen fuel cell, giving it a range of more than 1,200 miles and delivering more than 1,000 horsepower and 2,000 ft.-lbs. of torque. “This is a real truck. This is not a…

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Self Driving Semi Truck Makes First Delivery

Self Driving Otto Semi Truck

Otto and Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch made history in October by successfully making the first delivery by a self-driving semi truck. Yesterday, one of Otto’s self-driving truck prototypes traveled 120 miles on a stretch of Colorado highway between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs to deliver 51,744 cans of Budweiser beer. According to Otto, a professional driver assisted the truck on the entrance and exit ramps but could spend the rest of the…

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