FLEETDRIVE
VIRTUAL DRIVERS FOR TRUCKS
ACCESSIBLE EV CHARGERS
BARCELONA WELCOMES HYBRID BUSES
Torc Robotics , an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck , is opening a technology and software development center in Stuttgart , Germany .
Tapping into Germany ’ s top talent pool , this move aims to support the ongoing development of the Level 4 autonomous virtual driver for deployment in autonomous trucks in the United States .
Torc Europe is now hiring software engineers , data scientists , and architects in the areas of systems , safety , validation , and product development .
“ Torc is working closely with Daimler Truck to optimize the entire product stack including the virtual driver , sensing and computer hardware , and the redundant chassis , to be the first company to launch a scalable and profitable self-driving product ,” said Torc Founder and CEO Michael Fleming .
“ Torc ’ s Stuttgart technology and software development center will leverage the deep automotive and trucking technical and product expertise to make this a reality .”
Duku , a product design consultancy firm located in Cheltenham , has unveiled the first electric vehicle charger designed for the elderly and the differently-abled drivers .
It includes patented features like a motorised cable drum to automatically coil and uncoil the cable using plugmounted buttons . It also has a crashresistant base protects the unit from damage without the need for obstructive collision barriers .
Furthermore , it is designed to be highly visible with an intuitive , movable tap to pay interface that doesn ’ t use touchscreens or an app .
These 7-22kW fast chargers are ideal for residential streets or car parks , and an innovative plug and play system ensures that they can be installed in less than 10 minutes .
“ Our research highlighted the problems people were having ; including the need to use two hands and reach past those collision barriers . Now , everything ’ s touchless , lightweight and the obstructions are gone ,” says Andrew Aylesbury , Director of Duku .
Solaris is set to supply the city of Barcelona and its surrounding 36 districts with 87 hybrid buses .
The hybrid fleet will be managed by AMB ( Area Metropolitana de Barcelona ), the institution that administers urban transport in the city and its neighboring municipalities .
This impressive investment is in line with the policy adopted by Catalonia ’ s largest city to purchase only low- or zero-emission vehicles from 2021 .
The low-emission hybrid Urbino will be delivered to the customer starting next November .
Currently , more than 100 Solaris buses run in the metropolitan area of Barcelona , including almost 90 hybrid and 19 electric vehicles .
ISSUE 34 MAY 2022 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU 45