Weekly Roundup: 15th-21st March
- Bentley will make one EV annually for five years
- Toyota makes 17% production cut
- Ford to launch seven new EV models
Mass Transit
86 new buses to be added to BRT Peshawar
BRT Peshawar will import 86 brand new Chinese buses to facilitate more citizens. A spokesperson from TransPeshawar said another 244 buses will be added to the fleet on feeder routes and the number of feeder routes will also be expanded to meet the growing demand. Read the full story here.
An Electrified Future
Ford steps up EV push in Europe
Ford Motors is boosting its electric-vehicle lineup with seven new models over the next two years in Europe. The new models include its passenger car and commercial van. The company will double its planned investment to $2 billion to target sales of more than 600,000 battery-powered vehicles. Check out the complete story here.
Bentley to make new EV every year for five years
Bentley has unveiled its plans for the next decade to make a new EV model annually from 2025 for five years. The luxury carmaker announced this as part of its plan to become end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030. Earlier, the company announced its profit of €389 million, a 31% year-over-year increase due to the high demand of hybrid models. You can check out the complete story here.
Volvo, Starbucks launch pilot EV charging network
Volvo Cars and Starbucks are partnering on a pilot program to create a public EV charging network at the coffee giant’s stores in the United States. Under the pilot project, Volvo will install 60 Volvo-branded, ChargePoint DC fast chargers along a 1,350-mile route from Denver to Seattle. The pilot project will help StarBucks test usage rates and decide whether it wants to expand the service more under its sustainability plan. Read more about it here.
Regional Cooperation
Fourth Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train departs
The fourth Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul freight train carrying products in six containers has departed from Islamabad to Istanbul. The train comprising of three 40-feet-long containers reached Sukkur where three more containers coming from Karachi were attached to the ITI train. The freight service is a major opportunity for importers and exporters. Check out the complete story here.
Supply Chain Woes
Toyota cuts vehicle production due to chip shortage
Toyota Motors will make 17% production cuts in April due to a shortage of semiconductor chips. The company is cutting its target by 150,000 to 750,000. Earlier, the Japanese automaker reduced its domestic production target by 20%. Here is the complete story linked.
In Other News
SoftBank exits, GM invests $3.4B in Cruise
SoftBank General Motors is expanding its ownership in self-driving car subsidiary, Cruise. The company is acquiring Softbank’s equity for $2.1 billion. GM is also making an additional $1.3 billion investment in Cruise as well. Read the complete story here.
Japan to revoke Hino’s engine certification over false data
Japan’s transport ministry will revoke Hino Motor’s certification for four engines following the submission of data on inappropriate emissions by Toyota Motors. The move will also apply to Toyota Motors and Isuzu Motors that use Hino engine. The company has suspended sales of three engine models as well as vehicles carrying them in Japan. Check out the complete story here.
About Us
This week in Transport is a weekly round-up of everything happening in the transportation world; from sustainable transport initiatives to expansion plans, and implementation of an intelligent transport system. Watch this space for more sector news!