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Zhongtong Announces Ambitious Brazilian Expansion
Fabio Ferraresi Chinese bus manufacturer Zhongtong announced its entry into Brazil through TEVX, with plans to establish local electric bus production and eventually target around 15% of the Brazilian market. Despite the ambitious announcement, the operation will start on a relatively small scale: so far, only 10 complete monocoque buses have been confirmed for commercial operation in the first quarter of 2027.
The first vehicles will be fully imported from China. The next planned step is to import Zhongtong chassis for local body assembly, potentially using established Brazilian bodybuilders, before gradually moving toward local chassis production and assembly from 2028 onward. The company has indicated that approximately 900 units per year would be required to justify a fully established local manufacturing operation.
Source: AutoData / Technibus / TEVX
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VWCO Truck & Bus Partners with SAIC
Fabio Ferraresi Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, the Brazilian subsidiary of Traton Group, has partnered with China’s SAIC Motor to develop a new family of light commercial vehicles, marking VWCO’s entry into one of the largest segments of the Brazilian automotive market. The jointly developed vehicle is scheduled to be unveiled in November 2026.
Initial production will take place in China, with fully built vehicles imported into Brazil and Argentina to accelerate market entry. VWCO plans to progressively increase local content and transfer production activities to South America as volumes develop. The company expects to invest BRL 300 million, approximately USD $59 million, in the program.
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Volvo Buses Introduces Flex Chassis for Biodiesels
Fabio Ferraresi Volvo Buses has introduced the B320R 6×2 B100 Flex chassis in Brazil, designed to operate with pure B100 biodiesel and aimed at urban and metropolitan applications. The model expands the company’s low carbon offering with a solution that can use existing liquid fuel infrastructure and domestic biodiesel supply, reducing dependence on fossil diesel. Volvo indicates that the B100 can significantly reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions and sees potential adoption in Brazilian fleets and other Latin American markets with established biodiesel production.
Source: AutoData Read The Article
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