World first fleet of self-driving buses in service

The world’s first fleet of self-driving commuter buses is in service in Scotland after a successful trial run in January, and financial support from the UK government.

This year marks 50 years since UD Trucks reached Australian shores the company shows no signs of slowing down having just launched new products at the recent Brisbane truck show.

The UD CK40 was the first model to hit Australia’s roads in 1973 , and the decades to follow saw countless innovations including the release of its ESCOT AMT (Automatic Manual Transmission) that became a benchmark for the heavy duty industry at that tim , the world’s first commercialised radar laser collision prevention system, and the world’s first selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system – a technology that revolutionised the industry’s emission reduction journey.

Stagecoach’s self-driving vehicles will service a 22.5 km circuit with five singledecker buses carrying approximately 10,000 passengers weekly.

The buses will move at a top speed of 80kph through pre-selected highways and bus lanes while navigating traffic lights and roundabouts. Two staff members will remain on board at all times one in the driver’s seat to oversee piloting systems and another to assist passengers.

“We are excited to introduce the UK’s first autonomous bus fleet in east Scotland which is also home to our headquarters and where it all began over 40 years ago,” Stagecoach UK managing director Carla Stockton-Jones said. “We are proud to be at the forefront of transport innovation with this project that marks a significant milestone for public transport, and we look forward to welcoming our customers on board in the coming months.

Fast charging for trucks

Scania has successfully installed and tested a pilot megawatt charging system from ABB E-mobility, representing the next milestone in the development of an efficient, high power charging solution for heavy duty vehicles. The technology will enable half the charging time for heavy duty vehicles.

Developing a solution to fast charge commercial electric vehicles, which will also deliver significant range, is a major step towards increasing sales of heavy duty vehicles that can be driven fossil-free. The initial testing, to prove the technical viability of high current charging, is a first important step towards the future MCS system from ABB E-mobility. This will result in the progressive deployment of high-power chargers, starting from 1500 Ampere (A) and eventually extending to the full MCS scope of up to 3000A. This is a charging standard that Scania and ABB E-mobility have both invested in, and have been instrumental in developing in collaboration with CharIN (the MCS standard is expected in 2024).

MB trials two e-truck types in Australia and NZ

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is conducting an all-electric eEconic validation trial in Australia and New Zealand early next year.

Designed from the ground-up to work in densely populated areas, the eEconic will produce zero local emissions and the powertrain will operate near-silently.

Three eEconic trucks will be part of a validation trial in Australia, while one will operate in New Zealand.

Production of the ground-breaking eEconic recently began at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks factory in Worth, Germany.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific Director, Andrew Assimo, says the eEconic makes a lot of sense as an electric vehicle. “Waste collection represents the perfect application for a near-silent electric truck that produces zero local emissions as these vehicles operate on the doorsteps of our community,” Mr Assimo said.

MCS technology is critical for Scania’s long haul electric trucks, where both driving time and resting time are regulated by law. The vehicle can be driven for a maximum of 4.5 hours before the driver needs to take a 45-minute break and during this time the truck needs to charge with enough power to operate for another 4.5 hours. Due to the size of the batteries, both fast and high-power charging is essential.

From this year Scania can offer trucks with the MCS pre-standard connector to customers with specific and pronounced needs, with production set to begin in 2024. ABB E-mobility will introduce the next iteration of its MCS technology in late 2024 / early 2025.

“We are excited to work with our Australian and New Zealand customers to validate the remarkable zero emission eEconic, which is also fully loaded with the latest Mercedes-Benz Trucks active safety technology.

The eEconic validation trial announcement came soon after Mercedes-Benz Trucks confirmed it was also conducting a local validation trial of the eActros electric truck, with four units to operate in Australia and one running in New Zealand, with additional units to follow.

The eEconic uses much the same electric drivetrain as the eActros and has been designed to cover the vast majority of typical waste collection routes operated by an Econic in a single shift without intermediary charging. The group therefore aims to sell only CO2neutral vehicles in its biggest sales regions of North America, Europe and Japan from 2039 forward.