At the IAA Transportation 2024 show in Germany, Sinotruk showcased a range of new commercial vehicles under the theme ‘Zero to Hero’. 

Besides an upgraded ‘Yellow River’ hydrogen internal combustion engine tractor with an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.286, the Chinese company presented the Sitrak hydrogen fuel tractor and the Howo Tongshuai pure electric light truck. 

With the innovative design, inspired by a droplet shape that enhances aerodynamics, the highlight of the “Yellow River’ hydrogen ICE (it has also set a Guinness World Record by traveling 4,871 km on a full tank, according to the Sinotruk), the Sitrak electric drive tractor the company exhibited, is engineered for long-haul logistics with a drive range of up to 450 km and does 825 kW of power as well as 75,000 Nm of torque.

The Tongshuai light electric truck, on the other hand, is fitted with a 100-kWh battery that can be charged in just about 20 minutes. The Bolden pickup truck is equipped with a Weichai WP2H 2.0T diesel engine that does 187 hp of power and 420 Nm of torque. 

Eka (Pinnacle Mobility Solutions), a leading electric mobility and technology company, has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Sohel Merchant, as its new Chief Innovation Officer.

Merchant comes with over two decades of experience in the automotive industry in the areas of Vehicle Engineering and Program Management.  He has worked with the likes of Canoo Inc., Tesla, Faraday Future Inc., and the Ford Motor Company.

In his last role, he was the Co-Founder and CTO at Canoo, where he helped design innovative electric platforms and vehicles for the commercial sector,  the US Department of Defence, and NASA. During his stint at Tesla, Merchant is said to have been involved in the design of Model S and Model X vehicles.

“I am honoured to join Eka Mobility at such a transformative time in the EV industry. I look forward to working with the team to create great and valuable EV solutions,” said Merchant.

Dr Sudhir Mehta, Founder & Chairman, Eka, said, “We are excited to welcome Sohel Merchant as Chief Innovation Officer at Eka Mobility. With his invaluable global experience, Sohel joins Eka’s robust senior leadership team, which now stands as one of the strongest in the industry. Together with our global management team, Eka is well-positioned to lead the electric mobility revolution, delivering cutting-edge solutions and redefining the future of sustainable transportation.”

A festive season usually doesn’t have as much influence on the sale of commercial vehicles as it would have on the same of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers. The recent festive season saw a spike in passenger vehicle and two-wheeler sales spread over the last few days of October 2024 and the first few days of November 2024. 
Tata Motors reported a sale of 27,636 commercial vehicles in November 2024 as compared to the sale of 28,029 units in November 2023, marking a decline of one percent. The commercial vehicle major recorded a sale of 26,183 units in November 2024 in the domestic market, down one percent, as compared to the sale of 26,579 in November 2023. 
While passenger carriers reported a 42 percent increase year on year with the sale of 3,022 units as compared to 2,130 vehicles sold in November 2023, the HCVs recorded the most decline of eight percent with the sale of 7,586 units as compared to 8,253 units in November 2023. 
Ashok Leyland reported a sale of 14,137 vehicles in November 2024 as compared to 14,053 units in November 2023, an increase of one percent. The commercial vehicle maker sold 12,473 units in the domestic market in the respective month as compared to the sale of 13,031 units in November 2023, a decline of four percent. 
While the passenger carriers recorded a sale of 1,304 units in November 2024 as compared to 982 units, an increase of 33 percent, the LCV segment posted a most decline at 14 percent with the sale of 4,560 units in November 2024 as compared to the sale of 5,294 units in the corresponding month last fiscal. 
Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles posted a 7.3 percent increase year on year in sales at 5,574 units in November 2024. The commercial vehicle manufacturer sold 5,194 units in November 2023.
The sale of Eicher brand of vehicle in November 2024 was 5,359 units whereas that of the Volvo brand was 215 units. 
Mahindra & Mahindra sold 30,085 commercial vehicles (including three-wheelers/electric CVs) in November 2024 as compared to the sale of 28,779 units in November 2023. The company was a good uptake in sales of LCVs between two and 3.5-tonne with a sale of 18,063 units in November 2024, up five percent, as compared to the sale of 17,284 vehicles in November 2023. 

GreenLine Mobility Solutions, part of Essar Group, has partnered Flipkart, one of India’s leading e-commerce marketplaces, to support its sustainable logistics practice.

As per the understanding, GreenLine will initially deploy 25 liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks for Flipkart’s delivery operations. The LNG trucks are equipped with 46-feet containers offering a capacity of 110 cubic meters (CBM) and will transport a range of e-commerce goods for both B2B and B2C loads. Initially, the LNG trucks will focus on transporting goods from the West to the North of India, with future plans to expand to additional routes covering North to South and West to South corridors.

Anand Mimani, CEO, GreenLine Mobility Solutions, said, “E-commerce is transforming lives across India, connecting dreams, needs, and opportunities. Yet, as the sector grows, so does its environmental footprint. At GreenLine, we see this as a call to action. Through our partnership with Flipkart, we are enabling India to go green, one mile at a time. By deploying our LNG-powered fleet, we’re making logistics more sustainable, ensuring that every delivery contributes to a brighter, cleaner future for our nation.”

Hemant Badri, SVP & Head of Supply Chain, Customer Experience & ReCommerce Business at Flipkart Group, said, “At Flipkart, we are committed to building a sustainable future, and this partnership with GreenLine is a milestone in achieving that goal. By integrating LNG-powered vehicles into our logistics operations alongside our existing electric vehicle fleet, we aim improve supply chain efficiency and contribute to India’s broader environmental objectives. This collaboration highlights our continuous efforts to drive green innovation and support the long-term sustainability of our operations.”

Bengaluru-headquartered Sun Mobility recently showcased its modular battery-swapping technology for Heavy Electric Vehicles (HEVs) to transporters at an event in Chennai. The company said that over 100 private bus operators and operator associations from across Tamil Nadu attended the event. 

It was at Prawaas 4.0, Sun Mobility in partnership with Veera Vahana, a leading bus manufacturer showcased the fully integrated mobility solution.

At the Chennai event, Sun Mobility gave an insight on the solution, its cost-benefit analysis and the benefits for operators to switch over to green technology. The company also signed MoUs with leading bus operators to introduce battery swapping technology in their operations.

Ashok Agarwal, CEO – HEV, Sun Mobility, said, "Sun Mobility has transformed HEVs by addressing key challenges faced by bus operators, including high ownership costs, limited financing options, prolonged downtime due to lengthy charging, and the burden of deploying charging infrastructure. Our modular swapping technology offers a practical, cost-effective solution that boosts efficiency and lowers operational costs for operators.” 

Sun Mobility claims that a Internal Combustion Engine bus switching to battery swapping technology can slash the upfront cost by almost 40 percent and operational cost by 20 percent without bringing down their uptime.

At present, buses and trucks form about 5 percent of the total vehicle population but contribute about 50 percent of the tailpipe emissions.