Weekly Roundup: 17th-23rd December
- Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul freight train resumes after 10-years halt
- KP to build a mega-bus terminal in Peshawar
- US open investigations into 580,000 Teslas over gameplay feature
Regional Cooperation
Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey launch freight train after 10 years
Taking the first move towards regional connectivity, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran have launched the freight train project after a 10-year halt. Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train began its journey from Islamabad railway station towards Zahedan, Iran, from where the Turkish train will lift the goods and proceed towards Istanbul. The initiative will unlock immense trade potential between the countries. Read more here.
On Sustainable Transport
KP government to construct mega bus terminal for PKR3.6B in Peshawar
The construction work on the mega bus terminal has begun in Peshawar. The new General Bus Stand would be constructed outside the city on approximately 300 kanals to provide the best services to travelers. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Faisal Amin Khan said the mega project has begun under Peshawar revival and beautification project. Read more about it here.
Punjab government approves electric buses for Faisalabad, Lahore, and Bahawalpur
To combat pollution and smog, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has announced the use of electric buses in the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, and Bahawalpur. The use of environment-friendly buses was proposed in the meeting of the Punjab Mass Transit Authority which was led by CM Punjab. Read more about it here.
An Electrified Future
Tesla bows to pressure, stops video games feature after safety probe
The US government opened a formal safety investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles over the American automaker’s decision to allow games to be played on the front center touchscreen. The game function is available in certain Teslas from model years 2017 to 2022 and allows drivers to play even when the vehicle is in motion. As of the latest update, Tesla has agreed to stop allowing video games to be played on the front center screen. Read more about this story here.
Musk says he’s done selling Tesla stock for now
Elon Musk announced that he has met his goal of selling 10% of his stake in Tesla Inc. Earlier, he took to Twitter some time ago and asked his followers if he should sell 10% of his stock. In a recent interview, Musk said he has sold 13.5 million Tesla shares since the infamous Twitter poll. Check out more about this story here.
Ford launches zero-carbon electric vehicle home charging initiative
With a vision to reduce their carbon footprint on the energy used to power their vehicles, Ford has launched a new sustainable charging program. The program is eligible for California-based owners of all current Ford all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and allows them to opt into carbon-neutral charging at home. Read more about it here.
GM starts electric Hummer pickup trucks deliveries
General Motors has officially started sending its Hummer pickup trucks out of the factory and into the driveways of customers. Built on the Ultium platform, the Hummer EV model comes with a hefty $110,295 price tag and an estimated 329-mile range. Read more about it here.
Volvo, Traton, and Daimler invest €500M for a high-power electric truck network in Europe
Daimler, Traton, and the Volvo Group have now signed a binding agreement to establish the joint venture of €500 million. Together, the companies aimed to establish and operate a public charging network for battery-electric heavy-duty long-haul trucks in Europe. The joint venture will be held equally by the three parties and will begin operations in 2022. Check out more about it 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!