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DETROIT — BrightDrop, a General Motors Co. startup making electric delivery vehicles, said Nov. 18 that Merchants Fleet is planning to expand its purchase order to receive a total of 18,000 BrightDrop EVs.

Electric vehicles fare poorly in the latest reliability study from Consumer Reports, with Tesla Inc. and its battery-powered lineup finishing second-to-last for the second straight year. Only Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln division was worse, the publisher said Nov. 18.

Policies aimed at boosting the trucking industry’s workforce would play a major role in addressing supply chain woes around the country, the leader of American Trucking Associations told the U.S. House of Representatives’ transportation panel Nov. 17.

Meritor Inc. reported higher fiscal year fourth-quarter net income and revenue thanks to higher global truck production.

Self-driving truck technology developer Waymo announced it expanded its partnership with UPS Inc. to include autonomous freight movement with Class 8 vehicles.

U.S. retail sales in October of Class 4 through Class 7 medium-duty commercial vehicles were almost flat compared with a year earlier at just above 21,000, WardsAuto .com reported.

Electric truck maker Xos Inc. announced its second series of proprietary battery systems.

A divided federal appeals court has thrown out portions of the 2016 Phase 2 greenhouse gas emissions rule that would have required heavy- and medium-duty trailers for the first time ever to adopt some combination of fuel-saving technologies.

Commercial vehicle dealer Rush Enterprises announced it has appointed Troy Clarke to the board of directors and board member James Underwood will retire early next year.

Engine production issues go beyond the semiconductor chip shortage, Cummins Chief Financial Officer Mark Smith said Nov. 10 during the 51st Annual Baird Global Industrial Conference.