Monday, October 26, 2015

Chinese-made electric bus in my hometown

Early this afternoon I saw this Chinese-made electric bus undergoing tests in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It's made by the BYD company and, unlike most Brazilian buses that are built by specialized bodywork companies over frames supplied by truck manufacturers, this one is an unibody.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Brink's armored big-rig

Due to the high crime rates in Brazil, and cargo robbery growing at frightening rates, some measures are earning popularity in order to prevent it. Armored trucks, for example, are getting more popular. From the beginning with cash-in-transit vans, that could also haul some smaller items in a relatively safe way, bulkier items required other approach. The Brink's company, for example, already operates some Mercedes-Benz trucks with an armored cabin designed in resemblance to the bodywork of its cash-in-transit vans. The one in the picture above is fitted with a Mercedes-Benz OM447LA engine rated at 350hp.