Truck & Bus Builder

This snap comes to you from our trip to the Switch Mobility factory in Leeds. T&BB's Bradley (right) pictured with Mahesh Babu, CEO of Switch Mobility (left). Stay tuned for our exclusive. 

As a follow-up to last week's feature on Fusion Processing - here is our summary of the UK Automated Vehicles Act 2024, explaining what it means for the future deployment of self-driving vehicles on British roads. https://lnkd.in/eVbN5HEA

T&BB's Bradley has been learning industry terms in Chinese. One thing I learned recently: how to write "turbocharge" or "supercharge" (i.e., "forced induction") in Chinese characters: 增压器 or "zēng yā qì" in Mandarin. It literally means something like "increase pressure utensil"; which is fitting, because turbochargers and superchargers are used to force air at pressure into the engine cylinders. Add "涡轮" or "wō lún" (turbine) in front of 增压器 to say "turbocharger". Add "机械" or "jī xiè" (mechanical) in front of 增压器 to say "supercharger".

When Jim Hutchinson started his career, he couldn't have imagined he would end up working on self-driving vehicles. Today he is CEO and founder of Fusion Processing Ltd, a Bristol-based company benefiting from his experience in radar & sensor equipment. It was in the late 2000s that Hutchinson saw where the growing need for sophisticated sensors in the automotive sector would eventually lead to. Today, self-driving vehicles navigate with a combination or "fusion" of cameras, radars, and other perception hardware. Fusion has over a decade's experience of working on self-driving vehicles. It contributed to ‘CAVForth’, a government-funded project to deploy an autonomous bus on the Forth bridge in Scotland – the world’s first regular passenger service with a self-driving vehicle. It began in 2020 and is still running today. Read the full interview at Truck & Bus Builder: https://lnkd.in/eJiWg2bi

In October last year, a cohort of UK journalists flew out to sunny Malaga to drive DAF Trucks NV new generation ICE truck range (XB, XD, XF, XG and XG+) designed for long haul and distribution applications. The Dutch OEM has introduced significant enhancements to its new generation truck series, focusing on three key areas: efficiency, safety, and comfort. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eyWibNis

This week, we explore how hybrid diesel-electric drivetrains can contribute to achieving a 45% reduction in emissions from new trucks by 2030. We spoke to BAE Systems, an electric propulsion supplier with thirty years of proven experience in delivering hybrid electric drivetrains. BAE Systems is proposing its parallel hybrid technology to help truck OEMs meet their emissions obligations on both sides of the Atlantic. We spoke to Laurence Homer, Business Development Manager at BAE Systems, who explained that while hybrid electric technology may not represent the ultimate solution, it can serve as a valuable interim measure as it offers substantial reductions in fuel consumption and emissions, without the cost and performance challenges associated with zero-emission alternatives. More industry leaders, policymakers and members of the media are now discussing whether hybrid electric drivelines should be part of the wider strategy to meet the stringent CO2 emission reduction deadlines for on-highway road transport in Europe and North America. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e9_tXQJp

New year… new office! Truck & Bus Builder recently moved to new premises in a coworking space in Taunton called “Collar Factory”. It's a Grade II listed structure dating from 1899 and built in an elegant late Victorian Renaissance style. We’ve been moved in for a few months now and we’re feeling very settled in. Luke & Bradley especially appreciate the shorter commute to work! Collar Factory

At the end of 2024, we posted lots of news stories coming out of EURO BUS EXPO. We've collected them into a single report, published on the Truck & Bus Builder website today. Read it in full: https://lnkd.in/eANZ2tqE

Merry Christmas from the Truck & Bus Builder team! Thank you to our readers for your support – see you in 2025! 🎄🎇

At EURO BUS EXPO, British firm Mellor focused on promoting its vehicles for demand-responsive and welfare transportation, after it discontinued its 'Sigma' line of electric buses earlier in the year. At the end of last year, Belgian businessman Guido Dumarey acquired Mellor, whose former parent company fell into financial trouble. Dumarey decided to discontinue the Chinese-sourced Sigma range, which he believed was not good “strategically” for Mellor. At the show, Mellor presented a low floor ‘Strata’ minibus decorated in the livery of the ‘Bee Network’ – Greater Manchester’s integrated transport network which is set for a 2025 launch. Read the full article at Truck & Bus Builder: https://lnkd.in/ewZ8u3sD