Friday, 4 September 2026

IRU and T&E are calling on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to open a strategic dialogue on heavy-duty vehicle decarbonisation, according to CleanTechnica.

The appeal comes as key EU rules governing heavy-duty vehicles head for review, CleanTechnica reported, with rising energy and cost pressures adding urgency to getting the transition right.

The two organisations directed their request at the head of the European Commission rather than at the technical review process itself, framing the transition for trucks and buses as a matter requiring political engagement at the top of the institution.

CleanTechnica linked the timing of the call to the pending review of the rules and to the cost and energy pressures now bearing on the sector.

Third-party testing by TÜV Rheinland found that Aptera Motors Corp.'s solar electric vehicle produced more than 4 kWh of usable solar energy per day over three test days in Southern California, according to pv magazine.

The measured range depended on how the car was positioned. A parked, stationary run delivered 4.23 kWh to the battery, pv magazine reported. Turning the vehicle once at solar noon raised delivery to 4.40 kWh, and opening the rear hatch toward the sun lifted it to 4.75 kWh.

Giorgio Bardizza of TÜV Rheinland ran the on-site evaluation at Aptera's Carlsbad facility, using calibrated data logging equipment to track generation continuously from sunrise to sunset, according to pv magazine.

The array itself is distributed rather than roof-mounted. Per pv magazine, the vehicle embeds 205 custom solar cells wired into seven separate strings and spread across the hood, dashboard, roof, and rear hatch.

Power logging on each string showed combined conversion losses in a band of 9.2% to 9.6%, pv magazine reported.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has opened a USD 45 million programme to speed up deployment of electric trucks and charging infrastructure, in partnership with CALSTART, electrive reported.

The larger of the two schemes is the Clean Truck Incentive (CTI), which according to electrive will provide up to USD 39 million in point-of-sale vouchers covering vehicle purchases and the charging equipment that goes with them.

The second scheme, the Green Drayage Accelerator (GDA), carries USD 5 million. Per electrive, it will award funds to as many as five electric truck charging hubs sited within a 10 mile radius of the Port Authority's marine terminal facilities.

CALSTART, described by electrive as a clean transport organisation, will both design and administrate the CTI and the GDA. The stated goal is to drive zero-emission commercial fleet adoption.

The Port Authority has tied the two schemes to its own commitment to reach net zero by 2050, according to electrive.

Charge point operator Zest is partnering with Heart of England Co-op to deliver high-powered charging at nine supermarkets in the Midlands, in the UK, according to electrive.

Zest will fund and operate the infrastructure under a multi-year agreement, electrive reported.

The chargers will go in at both new and existing Co-op stores in the region, including sites in Coventry, Nuneaton, Wellesbourne and Southam. The arrangement puts the capital cost and the operating risk on the charge point operator rather than the retailer, leaving the grocer's role as host site.

Power ratings for the nine locations have not been set out publicly. Under its 'ultra-rapid' offering, the Leeds-based B Corp has installed chargers rated 150 to 300 kW at larger retail sites in the past, though electrive notes this has not been confirmed for the new partnership.

The tie-up is the second Zest has struck with a co-operative grocer. In October 2025, the operator announced plans to install EV chargers at 20 Central Co-op stores under a separate multi-year agreement, according to electrive.

UltraTech Cement will put more than 600 new electric heavy-duty trucks into service by December 2026, expanding its logistics fleet, according to electrive. The company is described by electrive as the world's largest cement producer by sales volume and capacity outside China.

The fleet will carry more than five million metric tonnes of clinker and other key materials a year, UltraTech said in reporting by electrive. Deployment covers Indian states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha.

UltraTech states that once fully operational, the trucks will enable annual net CO2 reductions of over 117,000 tonnes, which the company equates to 39 million litres of diesel per year, according to electrive.

Service contracts are already signed. electrive reported that UltraTech has agreements with EV prime mover manufacturers including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, IPLTech, Energy In Motion and Sany.

The order sits on top of an existing low-carbon haulage base. UltraTech currently runs more than 850 trucks in its green logistics operations, a mix of CNG and electric units, according to electrive.

The electric share of that base has been small. In June the company said it had deployed 45 new electric trucks in India, taking its e-truck fleet to 89 units at that time, electrive reported. The new commitment of over 600 vehicles is therefore several times the size of the electric fleet reported in June.

The Ram 1500 REV extended-range electric pickup has been delayed again and is now set to arrive around April 2027, Electrek reported.

Hyundai has its own extended-range model on a nearby schedule. The Santa Fe EREV, the company's first extended-range EV, is due in the first half of 2027, according to Electrek.

Production of the Santa Fe EREV is assigned to Hyundai's manufacturing plant in Alabama, with sales planned for the US market.

BYD will put a new electric hatchback called the Great Seagull on sale by the end of 2026, slotting the model between the Dolphin and the Seagull, Electrek reported. BYD's Zhou revealed the name at the Chengdu Auto Show.

The new car is substantially bigger than the one it sits above. A MIIT filing in China lists the Great Seagull at 4,205 mm long, against 3,780 mm for the current Seagull, according to Electrek.

Power rises with the footprint. Electrek reported the Great Seagull will use a 95 kW electric motor, compared with the 55 kW unit in the existing Seagull.

The smaller car it builds on is already one of the highest-volume electric models anywhere. In the first half of 2026, the Seagull, sold as the Dolphin Mini and Dolphin Surf in some markets, was the sixth-best-selling EV globally with more than 27,500 units sold, according to data compiled by Cleantechnica and cited by Electrek.

Price is the reason. In China, the Seagull starts at 69,900 yuan, or about USD 10,000, Electrek reported.