How important have the last couple of years been for DAF?
This year DAF has celebrated 75 years of truck production in which we have introduced many milestone vehicles, building our wonderful heritage and world class reputation.
DAF is a leading high-tech company with a production volume of over 69,000 trucks. We have over 10,000 employees and sell to customers in over 50 countries worldwide. In Europe, DAF achieved a heavy-duty market share of 15.6 per cent last year with market leadership in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as being the largest import brand in Germany.
Tell us about recent investments DAF has made in the business?
We are making significant investments in all areas of the business. This includes investments on our state-of-the-art production plants, to increase capacity and efficiency, and the commissioning of new facilities like our electric truck assembly factory in Eindhoven, ready to expand production of zero emission trucks. Furthermore, we are investing in new engine technology to meet the Euro-7 emissions legislation.
Also, there is the new PACCAR parts distribution centre in Massbach, Germany, which has just opened. This represents an investment of 85 million Euros and will further enhance our first-class parts delivery service. The centre will utilise leading edge technologies and innovations including the most advanced scanning equipment.
How is DAF handling the electrification of its range?
DAF is offering a full range of battery electric trucks for zero emission deliveries in city, regional as well as long-haul applications. Our PACCAR parts division is also offering electric vehicle charging stations and battery storage systems for our dealers and customers. Batteries are the most expensive part of the electric truck and are key to strong performance over the lifetime of the vehicle. We are investing to build PACCAR proprietary battery packs from proprietary cells and our strategy has three goals: cost leadership, supply security and commercial vehicle specific applications.
Our lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) technology offers a unique combination of durability, low cost and safety and provides an environmental friendliness as no nickel and cobalt is required. To achieve these goals we have pursued a unique partnership for battery cell production. Together with Cummins and Daimler, PACCAR is building a highly skilled 21 gigawatt hour (GWh) battery plant in Marshall County, Mississippi that is focused on commercial LFP batteries. At start of production in 2027, this will be the largest LFP battery plant in the United States
What about the fleet management services DAF can offer through PACCAR Connect?
DAF customers benefit from a new global connected fleet management platform PACCAR Connect which offers real time insight into the performance of a fleet and its drivers thereby helping operators optimise their returns. Eco Score and Vehicle Health Modules are available for customers who want more insight into their fleet performance. PACCAR Connect enables over the air vehicle software updates for the highest efficiency and the data can easily be integrated in industry leading business applications.
PACCAR Connect is complementing DAF’s full range of premium customer services which include a first-class dealer network, financial services, a comprehensive choice of repair and maintenance packages and PACCAR parts services for the best uptime support.
Harald Seidel, President, DAF Trucks
