After having bagged an order for 500 new next-generation low-floor Urban city buses from the Ivory Coast, Tata Motors today handed over the first lot of 117 buses to SOTRA in Côte d’Ivoire’s economic capital, Abidjan. The buses are being financed under the EXIM Bank of India for operation by SOTRA – Abidjan Transport Company.
The first 12 two-axle versions of Ensignbus’ Enterprise ‘deckers have arrived in the UK. Built by Australian manufacturer BCI at its Chinese assembly plant and shipped complete, they follow the 98-seat tri-axle version that debuted last summer with the Purfleet, Essex-based dealer and operator.
Renesas Electronics of Santa Clara California announced new software packages for the R-Car automotive computing platform to improve security and safety capabilities for next-generation connected cars. The software packages implement embedded optimized virtualization technology that enables embedded systems to have—in a single system—security features that protect the car from external threats, and functional safety features that assure continued safe operation even in the event of failures.
Mercedes-Benz and Robert Bosch are teaming up to develop self-driving cars in an alliance aimed at accelerating the production of "robo-taxis". The pact between the world's largest maker of premium cars and the world's largest automotive supplier forms a powerful counterweight to new auto industry players like ride-hailing firms Uber and Didi which are also working on self-driving cars.
Kwaithong Motor from Thailand has launched an electric bus, with big plans to penetrate the Thai local electric-bus market. Company president Sak Korsaengruang said Kwaithong Motor had been closely studying the EV market and had concluded there was huge future growth opportunity in the segment.