An environmental group, Transport & Environment (T&E), has warned that European truck manufacturers, including DAF and Iveco, are trailing behind their US and Chinese competitors in the race to achieve net-zero emissions. T&E highlighted that the truck industry is lagging behind the car industry in transitioning away from fossil fuels due to the higher costs associated with installing electric batteries capable of transporting heavy cargo over longer distances. While manufacturers are gradually developing zero-emission trucks, such as smaller vehicles for urban deliveries, T&E identified Volkswagen's Scania and MAN, along with Mercedes-Benz Trucks, as the manufacturers best positioned to transition from diesel to electric trucks.
However, T&E also cautioned that established truck manufacturers could lose out to newer entrants like Tesla and BYD, similar to what occurred in the car industry. The European Commission has proposed rules for reducing the average carbon emissions of new lorries by 45% compared to 2019-2020, but T&E advocates for a tougher target of 65% to stimulate investment in clean technology. DAF Trucks, owned by Paccar in the US, was identified as the least prepared among European manufacturers, lacking a public target for zero-emission truck sales by 2030. DAF countered T&E's assessment, citing its sales of electric trucks since 2018 and the development of a new generation of electric trucks with zero-emission ranges of up to 310 miles (500 km).
Iveco was marked down by T&E for advocating the use of renewable and low-carbon diesels, which still produce carbon dioxide, in the future. Meanwhile, Tesla's Semi truck, which was announced in 2017, is still in the pilot stage, with production delayed until late 2024 due to battery supply constraints. Despite this, T&E acknowledged Tesla's experience in scaling up electric vehicle production and strong supply chains. US and Chinese companies also received low scores on T&E's scale, with China's Sinotruk and FAW, as well as Paccar's Kenworth and Peterbilt brands, among the worst performers.
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