First released back in February in Brazil, the details of the monstrous VW 9.150 ECE (Especial Chassis Eletronico) armoured vehicle has evaded us until now. Powered by an MWM International 4.12 TCE Euro III which produces 132kW (180hp) and 600Nm torque at 1600 rpm, the 9.159 ECE rides with a reinforced rear suspension, pneumatic brakes and a whole lot of steel armour plating.

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What do Porsche and Lamborghini have in common? Well, a lot. To begin with, both make highly desirable sports cars, and after the former bought Volkswagen, which in turn had bought the latter, both are now under common ownership. Both have produced insanely powerful sport-utilities and both have built tractors. Lamborghini started out making tractors before Ferruccio's infamous run-in with Enzo Ferrari, after which he started making sportscars. The rest, as they say, is history. Porsche, on the other hand, started out in the opposite direction, producing sportscars before eventually moving on to sport-utes.

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We recently told you about North Carolina's Duke Energy's new research center for plug-in hybrids. Yesterday, Duke Energy announced that the energy company and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated (based in Charlotte) will be working together on research for plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) technology. The partnership won't just be to test vehicles - both companies will convert some hybrids currently in their fleets to PHEVs (Coke will convert three Priuses) - but also to educate the public on what a plug-in hybrid is all about.

This isn't Coke's first foray into greener vehicles. Just a few weeks ago, Eaton announced that Coke had ordered 120 hybrid trucks. Now, if they can find a way to replace all the HFCS with sugar - the old fashioned style - in American Coke, I might drink the stuff more often.

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Well, here's at least one neat vehicle that Europeans currently have that Americans will soon be able to buy: the Modec all-electric truck...

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Smith EV, which makes delivery vans and trucks in the UK and Europe, has finally announced its plans for the US: Up to 10,000 EV trucks will be built in a facility that "could be sited anywhere in North America, would require up to a 300 acre site, including a 500,000sq ft assembly facility, test track and space for rolling stock...

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For some reason, delivery truck drivers in the U.S. are stereotypically burly men driving big trucks. In Europe, I've noticed, this image doesn't necessarily hold true, especially when it comes to the vehicles the guys are driving...

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Navistar announced last week that its subsidy, the International Truck and Engine Corporation, has become the first company to enter line production of hybrid commercial trucks...

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Developed in cooperation with Chicago’s Navistar International, Ford’s LCF gives the brand an entry in the medium duty low cab forward field for the first time in a few years. It gives compatible axle and frame choices with Ford F-350 to F-550 Super Duty trucks in Class 4 and 5. In its second year on the market, LCF adds power windows, door locks and redesigned cloth seats to the standard equipment list. New rear lighting combines stop, turn and taillight units. Standard for 2007 are a 200 horsepower, 4.5-liter V-6 Power Stroke diesel and TorqShift 5-speed automatic transmission, which are more than up to the task of hauling payloads up to 13,000 pounds.

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Designed for hard work with industrial and commercial applications, the 2007 F-350/F-450/F-550 Chassis Cabs are available in Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab configurations in XL, XLT and Lariat trims. Designed with customization in mind, all models are available in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations. Newly available for ‘07 XL models is a power equipment group chrome package that includes power locks, power front side windows (and rears on Crew Cab), one-touch down driver side window, foldaway black power mirrors. A 40/20/40 split bench seat is also available on all XL models. Powertrain options include the segment’s most powerful gasoline engine. The 6.8-liter, Triton V-10 produces 362 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque, while the Power Stroke Turbodiesel is rated at 325 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque. Ford’s modular 5.4-liter, Triton V-8, available on some F-350 models, delivers 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. All engines benefit from electronic throttle control, and ffer the TorqShift automatic transmission, with five forward speeds and Tow-Haul Mode.

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For 2007, the Dodge Sprinter commercial van offers a ParkSense rear backup system, a high-pressure headlamp washing system, a full partition with sliding window, wiring for hands-free communications and a driver seat power outlet. Power train consists of a premium 2.7-liter, 5-cylinder Common-Rail Direct Injection Turbo Diesel engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick. Boasting a unibody construction design that reduces curb weight and maximizes payload capacity, the Sprinter is available in three wheelbases — 118, 140 and 158 inches — and two roof heights (64 and 73 inches). The Dodge Sprinter offers best-in-class cargo capacity (473 cubic feet) and maximum payload of 4,824-pounds.

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Whether at the auto show or on the highway, the 2008 International CXT doesn't just command attention; it demands it. Crowds gather to look up in awe at the 9-foot high cab, and at 21-feet long, the CXT creates the biggest production pickup in the world. The CXT has an 8-foot dualie pickup bed, and is born out of a 20-ton hauler. Power train consists of an International 6-cylinder diesel engine that generates 310 horsepower, and comes united to an Allison 5-speed automatic gearbox. Its core stems from International WorkStar Series trucks, designed for the most demanding of applications such as construction, refuse and snowplow...more click on heading

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