Major truck manufacturers spent the past year turning blueprints into concrete progress on the factory floor, with plants in Europe and North America retooled for cleaner drivetrains and more efficient long-haul models. In 2024, new CO2 rules in the EU and tougher U.S. emissions standards sharpened timelines, pushing serial production of battery-electric heavies while safeguarding diesel productivity for core routes. The result is a wave of line conversions, supplier localization, and battery investments designed to shorten lead times and stabilize costs. From Wörth and Munich to Ghent, Ulm, Eindhoven, and Virginia, the upgrades aim to move pilots into volume and give fleets clearer delivery dates, warranty support, and charging or hydrogen service plans.
Daimler Truck continued preparing its Wörth am Rhein hub for the eActros 600, with the company stating series production would start by late 2024 and supplier tooling aligned for long-haul volumes. Freightliner kept eCascadia assembly running in Portland as it refined software, charging support, and uptime packages with North American fleets. On the hydrogen side, Daimler and Volvo’s cellcentric advanced pilot manufacturing capacity in Germany to feed limited fuel-cell truck trials, keeping options open for corridors where batteries are constrained. Together, these moves signal a dual-track strategy: more electric in regional haul today, and staged fuel-cell pilots for the longest legs.
Volvo Group expanded heavy-duty electric truck output at Tuve and Ghent while supporting the Northvolt–Volvo battery plant under construction near Gothenburg. In the U.S., the New River Valley plant prepared the redesigned Volvo VNL introduced in early 2024, targeting better aerodynamics and fuel efficiency for diesel mainstays. Renault Trucks in the group continued series production of its E-Tech T and C in Bourg-en-Bresse, adding capacity increments to cut delivery times. The combined effect is steadier order-to-delivery cycles and clearer total cost models for fleets moving a portion of work to zero-emission trucks.
Within TRATON, MAN confirmed series production of its new eTruck at the Munich plant toward the end of 2024, supported by a battery factory ramp in Nuremberg to localize packs. Scania scaled its Södertälje battery assembly, pairing it with software and charging partnerships to stabilize regional-haul deployments. These factory steps align with Europe’s updated heavy-duty CO2 targets approved in 2024, which tightened mid‑decade milestones and nudged makers to lock in volume tooling. Early fleet feedback focused on predictable range, charging throughput, and uptime guarantees rather than headline specs, guiding line-side updates.
PACCAR’s DAF kept the Eindhoven line building XD and XF Electric while its Belgian operations supported the latest cab structures, underpinning broader multi-energy offerings. In the U.S., Cummins’ Accelera, Daimler Truck, and PACCAR advanced their battery-cell JV in Mississippi, moving from site selection toward construction in 2024 to secure North American LFP supply later in the decade. Iveco’s Ulm site, which assembles heavy-duty trucks with Nikola for Europe, stabilized fuel-cell Tre production after safety fixes in 2023, with deliveries resuming in 2024. Across these factories, the common thread is pragmatic scaling: modest but steady volume increases, tighter supplier footprints, and infrastructure packages that make zero-emission trucks usable on real freight lanes today.
