Following the invitation of Harald Seidl, President DAF Trucks, Florian Engel, Chairman of the International Truck of the Year Jury and former Chairman Gianenrico Griffini took the opportunity getting first hand insights in the strategy, technology and challenges of the Dutch truck brand during an exclusive interview at the DAF headquarter in Eindhoven. 

Dear Mr. Seidel, can you provide an overview of DAF's sales volumes and market share results in EU countries for 2024? What is your forecast for this year in Europe?

Driver comfort and fuel efficiency of our New Generation DAF trucks, as well as the new safety features introduced in 2024, have been very well received. On top of that, our model year 2025 trucks deliver an additional up to 3% higher fuel efficiency, thanks to an improved powertrain performance. As a result, customer satisfaction is high, and our 2024 results are very solid.

However, the overall European truck market in 2024 was somewhat smaller than the record-breaking year of 2023, which saw 340,000 units registered across the continent. In 2024, that figure was down to around 316,000 vehicles.

Looking ahead to the full year 2025, we expect the European heavy duty truck market to range between 270,000 and 300,000 units. At the high end, it may remain slightly below the 2024 level; at the low end, we could see a 10–15% decline, depending on the broader economic outlook. We have no crystal ball to precisely predict how the market will develop. However, with our New Generation DAF trucks we have excellent cards in our hands to further expand our success. 

Have you been successful in bridging the gap between the tractor and rigid segments?

Yes, we have indeed. DAF has traditionally been strong in the tractor segment, especially in long-haul applications where we've established a leading position. When it comes to the rigid segment – with its diverse applications from firefighting to construction – we entered the market with a significantly improved product offering as part of the New Generation DAF trucks.

A milestone in this journey was the introduction of what we call “Batch Three” in 2022: a complete range of 2, 3 and 4 axle rigid vehicles for vocational applications. But offering the right product is just one part. The second is ensuring that DAF is the easiest partner to work with for customers as well as bodybuilders.

Over the past two years, we've made major strides, including strengthening collaboration with leading bodybuilding companies throughout Europe, organising dedicated events for them and, last but not least, introducing our “bolt-and-play” and “plug-and-play” solutions. This means that chassis are completely pre-configured for fastest and highest quality body mounting. In addition, we have introduced our ’Ready-to-Go’-program with completely built up vehicles rightly available at our dealers and ready for operations. 

Thanks to all these innovations, we’ve grown our market share in the rigid segment to 11% last year. Our target for this year is to push beyond that – to 12% or more.

What has been the customer feedback to the latest New Generation DAF trucks under the Efficiency Champion label including Miller cycle engines, improved aerodynamics, and fast axle ratios?

The feedback is overwhelmingly positive. These trucks feature a new, enhanced driveline with up to 3% better fuel efficiency, and I’ve had the pleasure of driving them myself – alongside customers and journalists. I prefer to listen rather than talk during those drives, and the feedback I hear is excellent. Customers especially appreciate the silence in the cab. One driver even said you hardly hear the engine anymore, even at cruising speeds of 85 to 90 km/h – “Good thing the mirrors are off, otherwise you'd hear them whisper,” he joked.

Next to even higher levels of comfort, the big win is fuel efficiency. Customers are amazed – some report consumption as low as 18 to 20 litres per 100 kilometres, depending on the duty cycle. These are significant improvements, and the conclusion is clear: customers love the vehicles. To go short: “driving is believing”. 

How do you assess the EU’s current discussions around CO₂ emissions, regulations, and technology openness?

The European Green Deal has clearly set the direction: 15% CO₂ reduction by 2025, and 45% by 2030. That’s the target, and the industry is fully committed to meeting it. We have the technology – as an example: battery-electric DAF trucks are already on the road and performing very well.

But the truck itself is just one piece of the puzzle. What’s essential now is acceleration of what we call the enabling conditions: a robust infrastructure, grid capacity, hydrogen refuelling options, and most importantly, a viable business case for transport operators. After all, trucks are tools for making a living.

Our role as an OEM goes beyond delivering a truck. We guide customers based on their specific business needs: What routes do you drive? What kind of grid access or solar infrastructure do you have? What charging concept fits best? Together, we build a complete zero-emission model that works in real-life operations.

And in many cases, what starts as hesitation ends in enthusiasm: "Let’s put some trucks on the road and see how they perform in our business.” Experience builds confidence.

And from the political side — how is that discussion progressing?

There’s growing awareness on the political side that collaboration is key. The Automotive Action Plan from Brussels is encouraging. The European Commission’s list of necessary actions to build a competitive and sustainable automotive industry is promising.

But as an industry, our concern is clear: now it is time for us as a society to have the enabling conditions in place. One of the things still missing is a robust annual monitoring mechanism. We propose a yearly review with other stakeholders of the status of infrastructure and business viability – using a “Plan-Do-Check-Act” approach.

The enabling conditions are not on track right now. We all know that. So we must accelerate – and that means having a clear recovery plan to get back on course. Only then can we ensure a viable, competitive, and sustainable transport sector in Europe.

What does your electrification roadmap look like, and how fast do you expect adoption to grow?

Our roadmap is very clear: we’re moving full speed ahead. We've opened a new electric truck assembly plant, with series production scheduled to start by the end of this year. Our first vehicles are already on the road, and customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Electrification makes sense for many applications – city distribution being a prime example. With fixed and predictable routes, and return-to-base charging, the business case is already working.

Regional haul is the next step – again, with fixed routes between production sites or logistics hubs. Long-haul remains a bigger challenge. Not because of the truck – our zero-emission models can reach 500 km per charge, and with intermediate charging, up to 1,000 km daily. The real bottleneck is charging infrastructure and energy pricing.

Ultimately, the pace of adoption will depend on how quickly infrastructure develops and how stable energy costs become. But we are doing everything we can to ensure that sustainable road transport becomes reality.

Will electrification push you toward adopting a pay-per-use model for trucks?

Pay-per-use models already exist — primarily in the form of operating leases or hire solutions. These are useful for transport operators looking to build flexibility into their fleet strategy.

Typically, they have a fixed core fleet, a flexible segment on top, and then perhaps a very dynamic layer with pay-per-use options. This isn't specific to electrification but is a valuable tool for managing fleet efficiency and cost. It’s a market segment that meets real needs, especially when flexibility is required.

What mix of technologies do you envision for long-haul by the end of the decade?

Great question. We believe several technologies can and will succeed in long-haul transport.

First, the internal combustion engine – still a fantastic piece of European engineering – can run cleanly when fuelled with sustainable alternatives like biofuels, e-fuels, or hydrogen. It’s reliable and well-suited for long distances.

Second, electrification is possible, but comes with challenges: battery weight vs. payload and the availability and cost of long-haul charging infrastructure. Still, the technology is there, and the solution lies in building smart corridors – strategic routes with integrated charging, aligned with both truck availability and transport demand.

Solving the “chicken and egg” dilemma requires collaboration between OEMs, infrastructure providers, transport companies, and governments.

Third, we see promise in hydrogen technology. This remains a costly solution today but could be viable in the long run.

Our approach is one of technology neutrality. We believe all “horses should stay in the race.” The decarbonization challenge is simply too great to place all bets on one solution. That’s why we’re developing all three technologies in parallel, making meaningful steps towards a cleaner future.

Are you leveraging synergies within the PACCAR Group?

Absolutely. PACCAR is a truly global company — and this global scale is key to our technology development strategy. A great example is the PACCAR MX-13 engine, originally developed by DAF in Europe and now also produced in North America. While American and European trucks differ significantly, they share the same heart.

This approach continues as we develop new powertrain technologies — whether it’s electric, hydrogen combustion, or fuel cell. These developments are driven by PACCAR’s global powertrain group, ensuring innovation is shared and scaled across regions.

Vehicle applications, of course, are region-specific. That's why we fine-tune vehicles for each market on the respective continents.

Finally, digitalization is essential. With the rise of software-defined vehicles, we’ve established PACCAR Electronics, a dedicated entity focusing on software, connectivity, and electronics. This underscores how seriously we take the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. As you can conclude, in all areas we are ready for the future!