Daimler Truck AG, the world’s largest commercial truck maker, recently announced at its Capital Market Day an ambitious growth strategy called “Stronger 2030,” which includes growth plans for the company’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) footprint in Europe. The European pivot for ZEVs came as executives talked about the more favorable regulatory environment and incentives compared with the U.S.
The pivot doesn’t come without a cost. As part of a Costs Down Europe strategy, the company announced a headcount reduction of around 5,000 in Germany that includes a combination of material costs, research and development, operations and sales. These cuts are part of a €1 billion cost savings goal by 2030. This is the largest and most holistic efficiency program ever, according to the company.
For Mercedes-Benz Trucks, maker of the electric eActros 600 cabover, the focus is on turning potential into profit following strong results in 2023 and recent news of Amazon Europe making purchases of the ZEV. The company hopes to grow its unit sales of its zero-emission vehicles in Europe to 25,000 units by 2030.
Across the Atlantic, Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) continues to be a core profit driver within the larger Daimler Truck Group. DTNA has an electric Class 8 via its Freightliner eCascadia, but its diesel Cascadia remains the dominant player in the Class 8 truck space with an approximately 42% market share.
Executives cited ongoing uncertainty over electric vehicle (EV) and ZEV incentives and recent regulatory rollbacks in the U.S. market as reasons behind the European ZEV pivot. Questions still remain over the status of California Air Resources Board rulemaking and clarity on what direction the Environmental Protection Agency wants to go. NOx emissions limits remain another topic under consideration. For a large truck maker, there isn’t a dial one can turn to adjust NOx limits; the engines and NOx filtration systems are planned years in advance.
Additionally, lack of EV charging infrastructure remains a headwind. Daimler notes that it has seen EV progress in markets like Denmark and Germany, where total cost of ownership paired with shorter distances is making EV trucks attractive compared with the North American market, where longer distances prevail.
Outrider builds industry-first safety system for driverless yard operations
The autonomous yard truck turf war in the trailer yard is heating up with Outrider recently announcing it has developed the industry’s first safety system designed specifically for driverless movement in mixed traffic trailer yards.
Outrider is a technology developer of autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs. The company’s proprietary functional safety approach recently received validation from TÜV SÜD, a globally recognized independent testing and certification organization, determining it aligns with its AV Conformity Framework requirements.
“Outrider pioneered the yard automation space with the goal of making autonomous yard operations inherently safer than present-day operations, and we have prioritized the safety system from day one,” said Andrew Smith, founder and CEO of Outrider. “It is not hard to create a driverless demonstration. It is a major technical undertaking to design an 80,000-pound robot that operates among over-the-road trucks, delivery trucks and warehouse personnel.”
Smith spoke with FreightWaves about the milestone, noting that the company has been operating with both human drivers and safety observers for several years. According to Smith, the company has completed hundreds of thousands of fully autonomous trailer moves within its customers’ fleets.
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