Horse Powertrain has been selected by Scania to provide its range-extender system for a pilot vehicle, currently operating as a heavy-duty timber truck in Sweden. The collaboration is a step in testing hybrid powertrain solutions for demanding transport applications such as forestry logistics.

The pilot is part of the Scania Pilot Partner program and is currently operating in Sweden under SCA, one of Europe’s forestry companies.

The vehicle is built to handle Sweden’s timber routes, transporting heavy loads through remote terrain where access to charging infrastructure remains scarce. By combining a battery-electric drivetrain with the generator designed in Sweden by Horse Powertrain’s division Aurobay Technologies, the truck achieves both long-distance capability and reduced CO2 emissions.

The test route covers approximately 16 km, with an operational target of completing 7–8 rounds per day, comparable to a diesel truck.

The configuration supports the truck’s battery packs with a 120 kW range-extender unit based on Horse Powertrain’s 2.0 litre multi-fuel engine. Acting purely as an onboard charger, the unit supplies electric energy when required during long hauls, temperature extremes, or delays.

Matias Giannini, CEO, Horse Powertrain, said, "Forestry logistics represents one of the toughest challenges for electrification. The forest roads of northern Sweden demand strength, range and reliability. Charging stations are few, but the timber never waits. You can think of our range-extender as a powerbank for a heavy-duty truck: silent, efficient, and always there when you need it. By partnering with Scania and drawing on our engineering excellence, we’re proving how a compact, high-efficiency range-extender enables electric trucks to operate reliably in the most demanding environments. It’s a technology that cuts CO2 now.”

Tony Sandberg, Vice-President at Scania Pilot Partner, added, "What we’re doing in Sweden with Horse Powertrain and SCA builds directly on the 100-day trial we ran together with a logistics partner in Germany earlier this year. That vehicle logged almost 22,000 kilometres and drove more than 90 percent of the time on pure electric power, only using the range-extender when no charging was available. The result was a CO2 reduction of over 90 percent compared with a diesel truck. Those learnings give us a strong foundation as we tailor the system for demanding Nordic timber operations."

Ingo Scholten, Chief Technology Officer, Horse Powertrain and Managing Director Sweden, Aurobay Technologies division, said, “Electrifying heavy-duty routes means understanding what drivers and operators face hour by hour. Long stretches without charging, variable loads and rapidly changing weather. This pilot lets us study those realities directly in day-to-day timber operations. The range-extender’s role is simple. Provide a stable, efficient energy supply so drivers can complete their full shift without interruption and with far lower greenhouse-gas emissions than a traditional diesel truck. The data we gather here will guide how we refine the technology and scale it for wider use across demanding transport applications.”

Horse Powertrain’s modular range-extender architecture builds on the core technology used in its passenger-car and light-commercial hybrid systems, adapted for the higher power output and durability demands of heavy-duty applications. Unlike conventional fixed-speed generator sets, the engine can operate across its full power band, allowing the system to deliver the required output efficiently while keeping fuel consumption, noise and vibration low.

The pilot truck is now undergoing testing in regular operations, carrying full timber loads to gather performance and efficiency data in real-world conditions. The results will guide future deployments of electrified powertrains in the forestry sector and other heavy-duty applications.

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51WORLD has been named as Nvidia’s global Level 4 simulation partner. The companies announced an integration between Nvidia Omniverse NuRec and 51WORLD’s SimOne platform during the Nvidia GTC Conference on 16 March 2026.

The collaboration utilises neural rendering technology to convert static, real-world collected scenario data into interactive simulation environments. This process is intended to address limitations in autonomous driving development workflows by making recorded data reactive.

The platform is designed to support the training of reasoning-based autonomous systems, including – world models, vision-language-action (VLA) models and physical AI development tools.

By transforming real-world data into interactive simulations, the integration increases the volume and variety of edge cases available for developers working on Level 4 autonomous systems.

At present, 51WORLD holds a 53.5 percent share of the L3+ simulation market in China. The partnership with Nvidia is intended to extend the company's reach into international autonomous driving programmes and provide development tooling for global automotive partners.

The announcement coincided with several related partnerships involving Nvidia’s DRIVE Hyperion, Omniverse and Alpamayo technologies, focused on the advancement of autonomous vehicle platforms.

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Volvo Cars has earned the highest possible rating for software-defined vehicle (SDV) capabilities from S&P Global Mobility, standing alone among legacy automakers as the only one to achieve a Level 5 designation. This top-tier ranking underscores the company’s capacity to enhance nearly all aspects of a vehicle throughout its lifespan, delivering greater long-term value to customers. Through over-the-air (OTA) updates, Volvo can introduce new safety functions, accelerate charging speeds, extend driving range and refine the overall user experience.

The transition to software-defined vehicles represents a transformative leap for Volvo, empowering its cars on the road to continuously evolve and setting a new benchmark for safety. As part of its most significant technological overhaul in nearly a century, the company now leverages real-world data to generate insights that inform the development of future safety and driver assistance systems.

Central to this capability is HuginCore, Volvo’s internally developed core system. Featuring a sophisticated electrical architecture, a central computing platform, zone controllers and integrated software, HuginCore is the foundation of the company’s three software-centric models: the EX90, ES90 and EX60. This architecture enables scalable enhancements, faster innovation cycles and superior experiences across the entire vehicle lineup.

S&P Global Mobility, a premier provider of automotive intelligence, offers the comprehensive data and expert analysis that informed this evaluation, assisting the industry in making more informed, lower-risk decisions.

Håkan Samuelsson, CEO, Volvo Cars, said, “Years of focused engineering efforts and investments have given Volvo software capabilities that only a select few in the industry have achieved. This has enabled us to deliver a step change in customer experiences and development speed.”

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Marelli has developed an AI-driven System Test Generation (STG) Agent in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The tool automates the creation of system test cases from engineering requirements, addressing a traditionally labour-intensive phase of the automotive validation cycle.

The STG Agent was developed alongside the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center and utilises Amazon Nova foundation models, Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Bases and the Strands Agents framework.

The system is designed to integrate with existing requirement management tools and automotive engineering workflows. By automating the analysis of system requirements, the tool identifies expected behaviours and generates structured, traceable test cases to verify that product features align with customer specifications.

As vehicle platforms transition toward software-defined architectures, engineering teams must manage increasing volumes of data and specifications. The STG Agent aims to reduce validation time for new vehicle functionalities, improve consistency in product behaviour across global programmes and accelerate product development for vehicle manufacturers.

Daniele Russo, Head of System Performance Optimisation in Marelli’s Electronics Engineering team, said, “The STG Agent represents an important step forward in how we validate solutions for software-defined vehicles. By combining our engineering expertise with advanced AI capabilities from AWS, we significantly accelerate validation cycles and ensure consistent quality across global programs. This solution enables us to support our customers faster and more efficiently, strengthening the foundation for the next generation of software-defined vehicles.”

Giulia Gasparini, Country Leader of AWS Italia, commented, "Marelli's approach to automating system validation demonstrates the transformative potential of generative AI in automotive engineering. By leveraging Amazon Nova foundation models and Amazon Bedrock, companies are setting new standards for how software-defined vehicles are developed and validated. This solution shows how advanced AI can accelerate innovation while maintaining the rigorous quality and safety requirements that define the automotive industry."

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Nawgati, an Indian fuel-tech company, has been named the title sponsor for the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Petrol Dealers Association Pune (PDAP). The association represents over 900 petroleum dealers within the Pune district.

The AGM is scheduled for 21 March 2026 at the Hotel Westin Koregaon Park, Pune. The event includes an industry exhibition designed to showcase technological solutions and services within the petroleum retail value chain.

Attendees will include senior bureaucrats, officials from oil marketing companies and representatives from dealer associations across Maharashtra. The gathering focuses on the convergence of digital innovation and existing fuel retail infrastructure.

Nawgati is utilising the platform to highlight Aaveg for Dealers, an operating system developed for fuel retailers. The platform integrates several operational functions into a single interface: real-time accounting and inventory management, sales intelligence and automated invoicing, digital contracts and credit control systems.

The company currently operates across India and has established subsidiaries in the UAE and Sri Lanka to scale its connected fuelling ecosystem.

Vaibhav Kaushik, Co-Founder & CEO, Nawgati, said, “The Petrol Dealers Association Pune AGM is bringing together stakeholders who are directly involved in these discussions through this Annual General Meeting, and Nawgati is pleased to support a platform that encourages meaningful exchange within the sector, as such conversations are important in shaping practical solutions that benefit both dealers and consumers.”

Aalaap Nair, Co-Founder, Nawgati, added, “Through Aaveg for Dealers, we are introducing an all-in-one operating system designed specifically for modern fuel retailers. It brings together real-time accounting, inventory management, and sales intelligence into a single, seamless platform. By enabling greater control over credit, customers, and cash flow, supported by smart insights, automated invoicing, and digital contracts, Aaveg is simplifying operations and helping dealers run more efficient, scalable fuel businesses.”

Dhruv Ruparel, President of the Petrol Dealers Association Pune, stated, “The Annual General Meeting serves as an important forum for the dealer community, as it gives us a platform to engage on operational and industry-related developments. Nawgati’s association this year as the “title sponsor” reflects the increasing role of tech-led solutions in fuel retail, which is strengthening these operations. We are looking forward to constructive discussions that support the sector’s continued progress.”

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