Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd (DICV), a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG (Daimler Truck), today signed an MoU with IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) to set up a technology epicentre.

The objective of the technology epicentre is to co-create mid- to long-term solutions necessary for the future of mobility. The foundation of this partnership is ‘technology-led mobility transformation’. The partnership – DICV-IITMIC – was inaugurated at IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai.

The aim of the MoU
Under this MoU, DICV and IITMIC aim to identify, mentor and provide opportunities to Indian technology start-ups, who will work towards finding futuristic solutions for the Indian mobility space in the years to come and introduce them to the market. The focus will be on all aspects, such as de-carbonisation (electric, hydrogen), road safety (ADAS-based safety technologies), efficiency, ecosystem creation and even preparing the industry for paradigm shifts in supply chain and logistics, manufacturing, product development, software driven vehicle architectures, ESG and other allied areas.

Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, Satyakam Arya, Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said, “India is going through rapid industrial and economic changes, and technology will be at the core of businesses and lifestyle going forward. Daimler Truck has always been at the forefront of technological development in the commercial vehicle space. We invested in India for the long term because we believe in its huge potential. DICV’s partnership with IITMIC is a watershed moment because this collaboration is based on a common belief that technology should be created and leveraged to transform the marketplace and not just product offerings. We also believe that by investing in and nurturing bright Indian technology start-up companies, we will contribute to India’s growing economy and sustainably lead the change in commercial vehicles, logistics and in the domain of mobility services.”

Two strengths as one
Through this partnership, both DICV and IITMIC will be putting their respective strengths to use. DICV will leverage its commercial vehicles domain expertise, while IITMIC will utilise its background in academia to strengthen the innovation and start-up ecosystem across India.

Throwing further light on this, Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President – IIT Madras Research Park, IITM Incubation Cell, asserted, “As fossil-fuel-based vehicles get replaced by battery-powered or hydrogen-powered electric vehicles in the near future, innovation and the pursuit of deep-tech start-ups in the area will be a major task. The DICV-IITMIC joint incubator would strive to become a leading incubator, where young talent flourishes; further it will become a think tank for a fossil-fuel free world tomorrow. IITMIC and DICV will leverage our respective strengths to jointly provide mentorship and nurture start-ups by exchanging and participating in seminars, forums, events and symposiums that will help drive solutions for future mobility.”  

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IVECO BUS has delivered its first GX 337 H2 LINIUM hydrogen city bus to the Lorient Agglomeration in France.

The delivery is part of a project that will eventually see 19 hydrogen buses added to the IziLo Mobilités network fleet, with 10 further units scheduled for delivery during 2026.

The GX 337 H2 LINIUM utilises a 100-kW fuel cell powered by four hydrogen tanks, integrated with a 69-kWh FPT Industrial battery pack. The bus has a claimed operational range of 450 km, can accommodate up to 110 passengers and hydrogen consumptions is claimed to be around 20 percent lower than others. Furthermore, it also is equipped with a heat pump system for thermal management and also comes with IVECO ON services to monitor performance and ownership costs.

Fabrice Loher, President, Lorient Agglomeration and Mayor of Lorient, said, “With the introduction of this first hydrogen bus, Lorient Agglomeration reaffirms its ambition to lead a bold and transformative energy transition. This milestone marks the emergence of a local sector that fosters innovation and job creation and strengthens our collective ability to offer sustainable mobility solutions tailored to the daily needs of our residents.”

Giorgio ZINO, Head of IVECO BUS Commercial Operations in Europe, said, “We are proud to see Lorient host the first European delivery of our GX 337 H2 LINIUM hydrogen city bus, a tangible demonstration of our commitment to working alongside local communities for decarbonised collective mobility. This technology delivers a high-performance solution, combining autonomy, comfort and energy efficiency and plays an active role in building a more sustainable future.”

IziLo Mobilités serves 25 municipalities with a population of 207,000. The network operates over 140 bus and boat lines. The introduction of hydrogen technology is intended to support the transition to carbon neutrality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the fleet.

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Caterpillar has announced that all Cat Customer Value Agreements (CVAs) will be eligible for an upgraded Services Commitment beginning in 2026. The programme is designed to provide equipment owners with specific timelines for maintenance and repairs.

Under the new terms, CVAs that include dealer labour will feature a Two-Day Repair commitment for common repairs. If the equipment is not returned to service within this timeframe, the customer receives a payment. Furthermore, the Parts Next-Day availability commitment covers maintenance, wear, and repair parts for pickup at a designated dealer location.

The CVAs provide 24x7 access to equipment health management tools, including VisionLink and Cat Inspect, to monitor asset insights. Agreements also include:

• Support from local Cat dealers.
• Delivery of Cat parts and fluids for planned maintenance at the customer's location.
• Options for equipment coverage, portability, and transferability.

Ebban Clause, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Construction Industries Services Division, said, “Our new Services Commitment program with a CVA is all about offering the customer hassle-free, peace-of-mind equipment ownership. Customers dealing with downtime need to act fast, and they need parts to get the equipment up and running quickly. Our new Services Commitment delivers just that – Two-Day Repairs, Parts Next-Day, or the customer gets paid.”

The global rollout of CVAs with the upgraded Services Commitment will begin in the Q1 of 2026. The implementation will continue through 2027, depending on regional availability.

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Propel Industries Private Limited showcased a large portfolio of construction equipment at Excon 2025 that included four new electric tipper models. The company aso unveiled an all-new connectivity platform and a comprehensive after-sales uptime solution. 
The four new electric tippers include the 90CED (claimed to be India's first ultra-fast charging 90 tonne electric dumper with ADAS Level 1 safety), 70CED (claimed to be India's first 8x4 mining e-tipper with 25 cu m rock body), 560HEV-X (claimed to be Indias first 8x4 construction tipper with 25 cu m box body), 470MEV Gen-2 (caimed to be India's first 6x4 tipper with 20 cu m rock body) in particular. 
The Pulse.ev connectivity platform as a new digital ecosystem built in-house specifically for electric mining and hauling operations includes features such as real-time vehicle health and diagnostics; energy consumption insights; predictive maintenance analytics and fleet optimization suite for multi-shift operations.
"The announcements reinforce Propels commitment to innovation, high-productivity for customers, zero-emission, and future-ready heavy-duty mobility. Since start of EV truck sale in 2023, the brand has expanded its presence across coal, overburden, limestone, iron-ore, stone quarry, marble & granites, and solid waste management segments. Propel trucks have cumulatively covered over 5 lakh operating hours and the first set of 8 trucks have clocked 12,500 hours in 2 years, which is equivalent to 20 hrs per day. This proves the reliability and uptime of the propel electric trucks," said Siddarth Kirtane, President – EV Sales, Marketing and Service, Propel Industries. 

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JCB India launched its largest ever excavator at 52 tonness in India. It did so at the Excon 2025 exhibition in Bengaluru. The excavator, showcased along with over 10 new products, will cater to domestic as well as export markets.  Of the over 10 machines the company showed at the show, there included backhoe loaders with enhanced features in line with the customer-first strategy. JCB India is giving much attention to lower cost of ownership, higher fuel efficiency, improved machine uptime, enhanced safety and ergonomics while designing its new equipment.    With sustainability the factor, the company showcased the hydrogen engine powered backhoe loader that it unveiled in 2023. It announced the expansion of its hydrogen powered construction equipment portfolio at Excon 2025 with a hydrogen-powered genset.  "Excon is a forum that brings together customers, policymakers, contractors, financiers, suppliers, and technology leaders, creating an ecosystem for strategic collaboration and long-term business growth. JCB exports to more than 135 countries from India and this year we also have customers from South Asia, Africa Region and South-East Asia visiting us. Excon allows us to understand evolving market needs and demonstrate how our latest solutions align with both global and India’s infrastructure demands," said Deepak Shetty, CEO and MD, JCB India. 

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