Transportation & Mobility

CRRC Unveils Three New Rail Vehicles, AI-Powered Metro Train at InnoTrans 2026

Berlin – September 23, 2026 -- CRRC, the world's largest rail equipment manufacturer, unveiled three full-size vehicles at InnoTrans 2026, targeting urban transit, mainline freight and intermodal logistics with new low-carbon and AI-enabled technology.

CRRC launches VELLINK platform with industry's first embodied AI metro train

The flagship digital-intelligent metro train under the new VELLINK urban rail platform uses integrated multi-source sensors to create a real-time sensing network that monitors tracks and identifies potential failures, cutting lifecycle maintenance costs. Lightweight materials and deep system integration reduce total vehicle weight by approximately 18% and cut energy consumption by more than 10% compared with conventional trains. The train's industrial design has won the international iF Design Award, with cabin features including panoramic windows and rotatable seating.

Leekr Technology Logs 4.5 Billion Km, Serves 16 Automakers Globally

Shanghai – September 23, 2026 -- Leekr Technology has logged more than 4.5 billion kilometers of on-road testing for its intelligent chassis systems, secured nominations for over 60 vehicle programs, and now supplies more than 16 automakers worldwide.

Brake-by-wire systems reach mass production status

The company has achieved mass production and delivery of both its DHB-LK Decoupled Hydraulic Braking System (Two-box) and IHB-LK Integrated Intelligent Hydraulic Braking System (One-box), while advancing industrialization of next-generation Electro-Mechanical Brake (EMB) systems.

PATEO Signs MoU with Arm to Advance In-Vehicle Physical AI

Shanghai – September 23, 2026 -- PATEO (02889.HK) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Arm to jointly develop physical AI applications for the automotive sector, targeting next-generation perception- and interaction-driven computing workloads for vehicles.

PATEO's AI revenue jumps 588.6% year-on-year in first half of 2026

The company reported approximately RMB 209 million in AI-related revenue for H1 2026, a 588.6% increase from the prior-year period, as its physical AI initiatives move from proof-of-concept to scaled deployment.

NY Auto Show Reports 92% Purchase Conversion, Sets 2027 Dates

New York – September 22, 2026 -- The New York International Auto Show's 2026 Visitor Impact Report found that 92% of attendees who said they planned to buy a vehicle within 12 months actually did so, underscoring the event's direct influence on automotive sales conversion. The 127th edition of the show, North America's oldest auto exhibition since 1900, will run March 26–April 4, 2027, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, with Media & Industry Days set for March 23–25.

Show attendance drives measurable purchase intent among visitors

According to the 2026 report, 80% of visitors said the show influenced their next vehicle decision, while 38% indicated plans to purchase or lease within 12 months. Among those 12-month intenders, 42% added one or more brands to their consideration list after attending.

LAUSD Expands Zum's AI Platform to Its Own School Bus Fleet

Los Angeles – September 22, 2026 -- Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has expanded Zum's AI-powered CMX platform to its in-house school bus fleet starting this school year, unifying technology across both district-operated and Zum-operated vehicles.

Zum already operates 450 buses across 405 routes for LAUSD

The company currently runs approximately 450 buses covering 405 routes for the district. The 2026-2027 school year expansion extends Zum CMX to LAUSD's own fleet, creating a single connected platform regardless of which entity operates a given bus.

SABA Buyers Commit to Infinium's 100,000-Ton eSAF Plant in Texas

Washington – September 22, 2026 -- The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) has secured long-term purchase commitments from AVEVA, Bain & Company, Google and McKinsey to back Infinium Energy's Project Atlas, a Texas facility designed to produce up to 100,000 metric tons of high-integrity sustainable aviation fuel annually.

Buyers lock in offtake to unlock project financing

The agreements cover sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFc) tied to Infinium's eSAF output, giving the developer the structured, multi-year demand needed to reach final investment decision. Infinium submitted its winning proposal jointly with American Airlines, which will take physical delivery of the fuel and manage logistics.

Autel Energy Opens Fremont Center, Adds Modal Amenity Partnership

Fremont, California – September 22, 2026 -- Autel Energy cut the ribbon on a new North American Experience Center in Fremont, California, on September 22, 2026, expanding its footprint in the Bay Area's EV charging technology corridor and launching a two-day Partner Summit for its hardware, software and deployment ecosystem.

Autel Energy pairs facility launch with new Modal amenity-pod partnership

Alongside the opening, Autel Energy announced a partnership with Modal, a provider of modular, fully managed amenity pods for EV charging sites. The deal gives Autel Energy's distributors, resellers and network operators a route to build charging locations that combine high-power EV charging with driver-focused amenities on site.

THOR Industries FY2026 Net Sales Hit $9.61B Despite Margin Pressure

Elkhart, Ind. – September 22, 2026 -- THOR Industries reported fiscal 2026 net sales of $9.61 billion and net income attributable to THOR of $177.5 million, exceeding the high end of its guidance despite a prolonged downturn in the North American RV retail market.

Fourth-quarter net sales reached $2.31 billion as North American shipments fell sharply

THOR posted fourth-quarter net sales of $2.31 billion, net income attributable to THOR of $40.8 million and EBITDA of $130.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $131.7 million, excluding nonrecurring restructuring costs and investment gains. North American Towable RV net sales declined on a 19.7% drop in unit shipments, with fifth wheel shipments down 34.7%, while gross margin in that segment fell 280 basis points. North American Motorized net sales fell 10.4% on a 13.1% unit shipment decline, with gross margin down 600 basis points.

Dutch Study: E-Scooters, Fatbikes Cut Car Use but Raise Cycling Risk

Breda, Netherlands – September 22, 2026 -- Light electric vehicles (LEVs) such as e-scooters, e-cargo bikes and fatbikes could reduce car dependency in the Netherlands but are simultaneously raising cycling accident risk on the country's shared bike paths, according to research from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas).

Dutch cycling network faces new pressure from electric micro-mobility

The Netherlands operates the world's most extensive cycling infrastructure, with 22 million bicycles serving 18 million residents across a 153,000-kilometre network. Bikes account for 28% of all trips nationally, a model increasingly studied and replicated by cities globally. That system is now being tested by a growing volume of LEVs entering the same narrow cycle paths.

Volvo Cars Leads Accenture-Google Cloud Horizon Platform for Android Auto

Gothenburg, Sweden – September 22, 2026 -- Volvo Cars has become the lead industry partner for Horizon, an open-source software development platform built by Accenture and Google Cloud to speed up car software engineering for Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS).

Volvo Cars migrates global AAOS development to the new platform

As lead partner, Volvo Cars is moving its entire global AAOS software development environment onto Horizon, gaining access to cloud-native development tools, virtual testing environments and AI-assisted workflows. Gregor Zetsche, Head of Connected Experience at Volvo Cars, said the platform lets engineers directly tackle their toughest engineering challenges and deliver new experiences faster.