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FOCUS_Issue_11_2023-1

focusmagsa

🏝️ 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟯𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 Lea

🏝️ 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟯𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲

Leading Japanese truck and bus manufacturer, Hino, will once again tackle the gruelling Dakar Rally where it has already notched up 34 finishes from 34 events.

🛻 Hino Team Sugawara will compete in an improved version of the four-wheel drive, bonneted 600 Series truck that finished 15th in the 2026 event. The Hino 600 model is made for the North American market but is mechanically similar to the 500 Series Hino sold in South Africa.
Hino has been the sole representative of the Japanese truck industry in the Dakar Rally for more than three decades. This will be the first time that Hino will also be representing the Archion Group, which was founded earlier this year as a joint venture between Hino and Mitsubishi Fuso.

👤Teruhito Sugawara, son of the founder of Hino Team Sugawara, will once again be the driver in a race he has now finished 20 times consecutively.

🛠️ Hino Motors Japan has once again recruited technicians from dealerships in Japan to provide back-up support on the event, as well as being involved in the pre-race preparation of the truck. This system has been used since 1995 and has already brought 67 technicians from 32 countries to the rally, with huge benefits in upskilling their ability under arduous conditions.

💡 The 2027 Dakar Rally will take place from 1-15 January and will start and finish in King Abdullah Economic City along the Red Sea on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Competitors will follow a route of about 8,000km over 14 days with limited supplies and equipment.

#DakarRally #Hino #Race #Trucks #Desert

🚨 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗣: 𝗔 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗣𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔’𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖

🚨 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗣: 𝗔 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗣𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔’𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗞 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗬!
Martin Liebenberg has been appointed Head of Commercial Vehicles at BYD South Africa.
It’s a fascinating appointment – and one that is bound to get the industry talking.
Liebenberg is well known in South Africa’s commercial vehicle sector, most recently through his involvement with Iveco. Now he is heading to BYD, at a time when the Chinese manufacturer is pushing aggressively into the global truck market. BYD recently showcased a major new commercial vehicle offensive at IAA Transportation 2026.
So what prompted the move from Iveco? And, perhaps more importantly, what does BYD have planned for the South African truck market?
👀 We suspect this appointment could be very significant.
Watch this space.
#FOCUSonTransport #BYD #BYDSouthAfrica #Trucks #CommercialVehicles #Transport #Logistics #SouthAfrica
@bydsouthafrica
@byd_global

💦 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗳

💦 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗳𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀

Water & Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina is urging municipalities to reduce their reliance on emergency tankers to reduce opportunities for criminal infiltration.

🚨 This comes as corruption, infrastructure theft and sabotage disrupt water services, and several provinces in the country report water losses exceeding 50%.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has received complaints alleging that municipal workers and other officials are sabotaging infrastructure to secure repair work and tanker contracts.

🗣️ “It is well-known across South Africa that the tanker mafias are very well entrenched,” says water scientist Dr Anthony Turton.

💸 Themba Fosi, former head of utilities, regional operations and coordination for Tshwane, said the municipality spends around R98 million on water tankers annually.

The Portfolio Committee on Water & Sanitation has called for stronger controls over tanker procurement, including a possible solution of municipalities acquiring and managing their own emergency fleets.

🔎 Minister Majodina said the department is participating in the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to strengthen efforts against infrastructure theft, sabotage and corruption in water-tanker provision.

👀 More: https://buff.ly/QjWvmmo, https://buff.ly/ePlZLNz

#WaterTankers #Corruption #Infrastructure #Theft #Sabotage

📢 We value YOUR opinion! Help us make FOCUS even

📢 We value YOUR opinion!

Help us make FOCUS even more relevant to you! Your feedback will shape the content we bring you, ensuring we cover the stories, trends and industry issues that matter most to transport and logistics professionals.

Complete our quick reader survey for a chance to WIN a R1,000 Takealot voucher! 🎁

👉 Take the survey. Find the link in our bio.

Your opinion matters. Make it count!

#FOCUSonTransport #Logistics #WeValueYourOpinion #Transport #WinAVoucher

📢 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗖𝗢 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼

📢 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗖𝗢 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶 𝗮𝘀 𝗠𝗗

Roberto Nobili succeeds Martin Liebenberg who, after many years of dedicated service to the company, has resigned to pursue a new professional opportunity.

In welcoming Nobili to the role of managing director, IVECO South Africa expressed its confidence in his ability to lead the business through its next phase.

🗣️ “We are delighted to welcome Roberto Nobili as managing director of IVECO South Africa. With a qualification in engineering and a strong manufacturing background, Roberto has international experience, having contributed to IVECO group companies in South America and South Africa within the truck, bus, new and pre-owned divisions, and with a cumulative 28 years of automotive experience. His extensive industry experience, proven leadership capabilities and strong vision position him well to build on the company's successes and drive our journey forward in the South African market.”

🙏 The company has expressed appreciation to Martin Liebenberg for his contributions throughout his tenure, highlighting the significant role he played in shaping IVECO South Africa. He helped steer the company through periods of transformation and evolving market conditions, while strengthening relationships with key stakeholders.

IVECO South Africa looks forward to this new chapter under Nobili’s leadership.

#IvecoSouthAfrica #Appointments #Leadership #SouthAfrica #Trucks

🛠️ 𝗜𝘀𝘂𝘇𝘂 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲

🛠️ 𝗜𝘀𝘂𝘇𝘂 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀

Isuzu Motors South Africa (IMSAf) and Nelson Mandela University (NMU) are developing future engineering talent by giving students practical exposure to real-world manufacturing challenges through the Isuzu Chair of Mechatronics at IMSAf’s production plant in Gqeberha.

👷‍♀️ Since 2018, IMSAf has invested R2.3 million in the Isuzu Chair of Mechatronics, benefiting 276 students through industry-linked projects, plant exposure, mentorship and access to IMSAf engineers and technical specialists.

Building on a collaborative relationship with the University that dates back to 2009, the partnership aims to expose 400 Mechatronics students to industry by 2030, connecting academic learning with the practical capabilities required in increasingly technology-driven manufacturing environments.

🗣️ Lomelelo Nogilana, a third-year Mechatronics Engineering student at Nelson Mandela University, said the experience had provided a different perspective on applying engineering knowledge in practice.

#IsuzuMotorsSA #University #Learning #Mechatronics #SouthAfrica

FOCUS is attending a special vehicle handover cere

FOCUS is attending a special vehicle handover ceremony where Hino South Africa is officially handing over a fleet of Hino 300 Hybrid trucks to SMSA, a key logistics partner supporting the Toyota Africa Parts Centre (TAPC). Watch this space for all the details!

#Hino #Toyota #Trucks #Hybrid

Instagram post 17944822701305401

Instagram post 17944822701305401

🚨 𝗥𝟮.𝟭𝟱 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 – 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟮𝟲𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆

🚨 𝗥𝟮.𝟭𝟱 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 – 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟮𝟲𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹.

That’s the staggering settlement DoorDash has agreed to pay following a New York City investigation.

DoorDash, the US delivery platform similar to Uber Eats, connects customers with restaurants and shops while gig workers use their own cars, bikes or scooters to make the deliveries.

At the heart of the case is a question that will resonate with drivers everywhere:
👉 Should you be paid for the time you spend waiting for work?

DoorDash says technical and delivery-related errors caused the problems, rather than deliberate wrongdoing.

For anyone who earns a living on the road, there’s a bigger issue here: When does your working time actually start – and who should pay for the hours spent waiting?

🚛 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂:
💬 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱?
👇 Tell us in the comments. We suspect some of the answers will be shocking.

🔗 Full story: https://buff.ly/H8BVOaU

🔎 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗔’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀 – 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟯

🔎 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗔’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀 – 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟯𝟴

In the weekly RSA Corridor Pulse Report released by Crickmay and Associates for Week 38 (14-20 Sept 2026), six of eight corridors were shown to be under pressure.

🚢 Richards Bay vessel waiting time remained above 3.5 days for a sixth week, and the Cape Town vessel waiting time jumped to 2 days 8 hours on average, its highest reading since mid-June. If waiting time stays above two days through the coming week, Crickmay suggests treating Cape Town as a standing constraint and scheduling an extra day for vessel port calls.

🚚 The borders had their best week of the quarter. Beitbridge crossing time eased to 21.3 hours, Nakop eased to 3.2 hours typically, and Lebombo and Pioneer Gate both held calm on shorter queues. Operators with northbound, Namibian, Mozambican or Botswana loads are encouraged to move them this week while the crossings are fast.

⏱️ The Kuruman-Saldanha Corridor experienced a 9.4% increase week-on-week with 19.9 hours typical on the road, 45% above last year’s figure. Crickmay suggests allowing 23 hours for Saldanha runs.

Contact: enquiries@crickmay.co.za

#Crickmay #CorridorReport #SouthAfrica #Transport #Ports

💫 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁

💫 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

When the country’s leading transport and logistics bodies put their names behind an event, it shows that the industry sees real value at stake. That’s precisely the case with Truck Test 2026, the largest and most significant extra-heavy commercial vehicle comparison event ever staged in South Africa.

📢 The Road Freight Association (RFA), the Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport South Africa (CILTSA), the Transist Bureau, the Federation of East and Southern Africa Road Transport Associations (FESARTA), the African Union of Transportation and Logistics Organizations (UAOTL), and supply chain body SAPICS have all thrown their support behind the event organised by FOCUS on Transport & Logistics magazine.

Their backing reflects a shared understanding across the industry – that as fuel costs climb and margins tighten, operators need trustworthy, independent data to guide multimillion-rand fleet decisions. Truck Test is where that data comes from.

🤝 That confidence extends into the event’s commercial partnerships. Engen joins as fuel and lubrication partner, Afrit as trailer partner, TruckScience as technical partner, Bandag as tyre partner, ZF as aftermarket partner and Ctrack as telematics partner, while WearCheck partners to deliver condition monitoring through oil analysis.

👀 Read more in the September issue of FOCUS: https://buff.ly/gDfsjhy

#TruckTest2026 #IndustryPartners #PayloadProductivity

🚢 𝗠𝗮𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝟮𝟲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗟𝗡𝗚 𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹-𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶

🚢 𝗠𝗮𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝟮𝟲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗟𝗡𝗚 𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹-𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀

As part of its fleet expansion programme, AP Moller-Maersk has finalised an order for 26 18,600-TEU LNG dual-fuel large container ships, with delivery scheduled for 2029 and 2030.

🛠️ Sources indicate that the vessels will be built jointly by two Chinese shipbuilders, Hengli Heavy Industries and New Times Shipbuilding.

The total value of the new vessels is estimated at $5 billion (over R81 billion) and should increase Maersk’s capacity by 483,600 TEU, according to Alphaliner data.

👀 More: https://buff.ly/YYPvVf4

#Shipping #ContainerShips #MarineVessels #China #Maersk

NEW LEADERSHIP AT ZF AFTERMARKET SOUTH AFRICA 🇿🇦

NEW LEADERSHIP AT ZF AFTERMARKET SOUTH AFRICA 🇿🇦

ZF Aftermarket has appointed Maic Dressen as Managing Director of ZF Services South Africa and Sub-Regional Head for sub-Saharan Africa and French overseas territories (DomTom).

With more than 20 years of global aftermarket experience, Dressen takes the helm at a time of continued growth and development across Africa.

What will his new role mean for ZF Aftermarket’s South African and wider African operations?

👉 Read the full story on FOCUS on Transport & Logistics: Find link in bio.

@zfaftermarket.africa

#ZFAftermarket #ZFServices #Aftermarket #Transport #Logistics

🎉 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲! The 1000th Shacman built in So

🎉 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲! The 1000th Shacman built in South Africa. The OEM hosted a celebration at its Wadeville assembly plant on Friday to recognise this significant achievement.
#Shacman #Milestone #Trucking #Transport #SouthAfrica

🚨 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝟮.𝟱𝟵𝗯𝗻 𝗶

🚨 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝟮.𝟱𝟵𝗯𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀

🔎 Analysis of the audited financial statements of the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI) has raised concerns that R2.59 billion in worker benefit assets may have been treated as Council property, with three benefit funds falling short of what they owed for three consecutive years.

This follows an application brought by Innovative Staffing Solutions (ISS) in March 2024 which was later granted by The High Court, which ordered the Council to produce the requested financial documents and, punitively, to pay ISS’s costs. An analysis of the Council’s published financial statements from 2018 to 2025 was subsequently performed.

😲 The Council also did not prepare separate financial statements or audits for the Sick Pay, Holiday Pay, Leave Pay, and Wellness funds, in contravention of legal and statutory requirements. This means each fund’s financial position cannot be assessed independently: it is challenging to see how much money actually belongs to each fund, what it owes and whether it is financially sound on its own.

🗣️ ISS managing director Arnoux Maré is adamant that the Council must address the concerns these statements have brought to light. “Every rand in its benefit funds belongs to a truck driver, a forklift operator or a warehouse worker. Workers should be able to see whether those funds remain properly ring-fenced, whether each fund can meet what it owes to workers, how income earned on that money is being used, and whether it is being used for workers’ benefit.”

#WorkerBenefits #WellnessFunds #BargainingCouncil #TruckDrivers

🤔 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼

🤔 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮

In this Watts & Wheels episode, Hiten Parmar, executive director of The Electric Mission, speaks to TechCentral’s motoring journalist William Kelly about why he thinks South Africa has still not crossed the 1% point of new motor vehicle sales being electric vehicles.

🗣️ Parmar notes that commercial transport is moving faster than the passenger vehicle segment, with light-, medium-, heavy- and ultra-heavy-duty electric trucks now available and fleets reporting TCO savings of up to 25%.

Because the economics improve the further a vehicle travels, high-mileage fleets tend to be the first adopters rather than the last, he says.

👀 Watch or listen to the interview here: https://buff.ly/QzPCqQn

#EVs #GreenTransport #ElectricTrucks #SouthAfrica #TCO

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗚? 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗚? 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦! 😲🚌
South Africans will know MG as the iconic British-born sports car marque. Today it is owned by Chinese automotive giant SAIC Motor – and now MG is making buses.
Meet the new MG iEV12LE, unveiled at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026.
⚡ 489 kWh battery
⚡ More than 650 km claimed range
⚡ Up to 80 passengers
⚡ Fully electric
Yes, the badge once synonymous with little British sports cars is now sitting on a 12-metre electric intercity bus.
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴?

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗔𝗔 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗔𝗔 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

It was fantastic catching up with Maretha Gerber, President & Group CEO of Daimler Truck Southern Africa – and naturally, we had to go and take a closer look at one of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ big IAA debuts together: the new eActros Lowliner.

The truck uses up to three 207 kWh LFP battery packs, with series production scheduled to begin in Q2 2027.

But here’s why this truck is A Seriously Big Deal: The eActros 600 Lowliner can travel around 500 km at full load, while its ultra-low fifth-wheel height allows it to work with mega trailers offering an interior height of up to three metres.

That’s impressive! Lowliner trucks are vital in high-volume operations such as automotive logistics, where every cubic metre of trailer space counts. To achieve that three-metre internal height, the tractor has to sit exceptionally low.
Doing that with a battery-electric truck is technically challenging because the batteries and electric drivetrain still need to be packaged without pushing the chassis higher and compromising the trailer’s load volume.

So Mercedes-Benz Trucks has managed to combine long-haul electric range with the huge cargo capacity Lowliner operators depend on. In other words, electrification without sacrificing one of the vehicle’s biggest commercial advantages.

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 🚛

𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗸 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻

𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗸 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱.
One of the most talked-about trucks on its IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 stand is the SITRAK 4x2 battery-electric tractor – and the numbers demand attention.
⚡ 600 kWh battery
⚡ 20–80% charge in around 23 minutes
⚡ Energy consumption as low as 1.1 kWh/km
⚡ Just 10.1 tonnes kerb weight
⚡ GCW of up to 44 tonnes
And Sinotruk sent a powerful signal about the importance of IAA: Wang Zhijian, Chairman of parent Shandong Heavy Industry Group, personally attended the show.
𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝘁.

Is the cheapest truck really the most cost-effecti

Is the cheapest truck really the most cost-effective? 🚛

Isuzu’s “Cheap is Expensive” and “A Profitable Investment” campaigns encourage businesses to look beyond the initial purchase price and consider the bigger picture – from fuel efficiency and maintenance to reliability, uptime, resale value and aftersales support.

Because when a truck isn’t moving, a business isn’t earning. Ultimately, the smartest investment is not necessarily the cheapest truck, but the one that delivers the greatest value throughout its working life. Learn more in the latest issue of FOCUS. See link in bio.

@isuzusa

#IsuzuTrucks #CheapIsExpensive #ProfitableInvestment #TotalCostOfOwnership #ROI FleetManagement Transport Logistics Trucking

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