Truck & Bus Builder

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

Turkish manufacturer TEMSA is ready to offer high-end to the British market with “competitive lead times”, following a “soft reset” of its UK operations, said Paul Gardner, who spoke to T&BB at the EURO BUS EXPO in November. Gardner told T&BB that Temsa UK is offering lead times fewer than 12 months. For 2024, its order book stands at 130 units – compared to the 30 units per year which it used to sell around ten years ago. At that time, Temsa was considered to be a “budget rental” brand by British customers; today, Gardner says that it is now offering more high-end and bespoke builds. Read the full article at Truck & Bus Builder: https://lnkd.in/ggv9e7HP

As far as its coach products are concerned, it is “business as usual” for Belgian manufacturer Van Hool, according to new parent VDL Bus & Coach bv. Darren Dowsett spoke to Truck & Bus Builder in his capacity as managing director of VDL Bus & Coach UK at the EURO BUS EXPO in Birmingham, held at the NEC between 12-14 November. He said that VDL would retain Van Hool's coaches and discontinue its bus models. Read the full article at Truck & Bus Builder: https://lnkd.in/epDyjPdj

T&BB attended the 2024 Euro Bus Expo, which took place at the NEC Birmingham in the UK. Alexander Dennis unveiled the Enviro100EV and next-generation Enviro400EV battery-electric buses as part of its focus on zero-emission. Paul Davies, the CEO of Alexander Dennis confirmed that by working closely with systems integration partners, the new generation EVs have achieved a 97% charging efficiency certified by the Zemo Partnership’s zero-emission bus testing programme. The 97% grid-to-wheel efficiency is the best recorded in UK zero-emission bus certification to date and these gains of course drive efficiency and lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the vehicles for fleet managers. The OEM has optimised its charging and system integration by working with engineering teams from its driveline supplier Voith, battery manufacturer Impact Clean Power Technology and HVAC specialist Grayson Thermal Systems. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e83ZpS4E

Markus Bischoff, who leads DIWA development at Voith Turbo, believes the company made a "brave" decision in supporting the development of a mild-hybrid transmission over 4 years ago. Today, he feels vindicated by the resurgence of interest in hybrids. Truck & Bus Builder spoke to Bischoff about the DIWA NXT's application in interurban buses, where the trend towards electrification is expected to remain much slower than in city buses. ICE, in one form or another, will be used for a long time in interurban, even in Europe. "A few years ago," Bischoff told T&BB, "no one expected that engines and transmissions would survive beyond this decade." But nowadays, he said, "the end of combustion engine is no longer visible on the horizon – certainly not on a global scale." Read the full interview for free at Truck & Bus Builder: https://lnkd.in/efF6ASc7