Weekly Dynamic Scan of the Global Commercial Vehicle Industry

Weekly Dynamic Scan of the Global Commercial Vehicle Industry: Industrial Reconstruction Amid Technological Breakthroughs and the Wave of Going Global.

In the current era where carbon neutrality and the wave of intelligence are intertwined, the global commercial vehicle industry is undergoing profound changes，Over the past week, international giants have refreshed industry perception with technological limits, while Chinese brands have rewritten the global competitive landscape with systematic overseas expansion strategies. Policy changes and market differentiation have further highlighted the urgency of industrial transformation.From the technical verification of electric heavy-duty trucks to the strategic layout in overseas markets, these dynamics outline a clear trajectory of the commercial vehicle industry's upgrade from "hardware competition" to "ecological competition".

1. Technical Limit Challenge: The Performance Boundaries of Electric Heavy-duty Trucks are Broken Again

The flagship electric heavy-duty truck eActros 600 under Mercedes-Benz completed a technical challenge that overturned traditional perception on April 28th - driven by retired officer Marco Hellgrewe, it cumulatively completed 100 kilometers of continuous reverse driving on closed tracks and open roads. Successfully broke the world record of "the longest reversing distance for a single-person semi-trailer" held by an American diesel truck in 2020.This electric heavy-duty truck, equipped with a 621kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and offering a range of up to 500 kilometers, has passed extreme condition tests. It not only verifies the stability of the electric drive system but also demonstrates Mercedes-Benz's technical confidence in the field of electric commercial vehicles with its handling accuracy.

Meanwhile, Volvo Trucks announced milestone data for its pure electric models: global deliveries exceeded 5,000 units, business covered 50 countries, and cumulative mileage reached 170 million kilometers.Since the launch of its first electric truck in 2019, its eight models have formed a product matrix covering diverse scenarios such as urban distribution and construction projects.It is worth noting that the repurchase rate of customers in core European markets such as Germany and the Netherlands exceeds 40%, marking a market-oriented turning point where the logistics market of electric trucks in developed countries is shifting from "policy-driven" to "demand-driven".

2.The acceleration of Chinese brands going global: From product export to System Breakthrough

The intensive breakthroughs of Chinese commercial vehicle enterprises in overseas markets have become the focus of the week.

Deep Way has reached the first dealer cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region with Singapore. Its new energy heavy-duty trucks have gained local recognition for battery thermal management technology and intelligent systems. Both sides plan to deploy 500 electric heavy-duty trucks in Singapore in 2025 for port and urban logistics scenarios.This is another strategic move in the markets along the "Belt and Road" following the layout in the Middle East, marking the official entry of Chinese electric heavy-duty trucks into the Southeast Asian market.

Dongfeng Motor Corporation has achieved an expansion speed of "two cities in three days" in Morocco:

On April 26th, the Marrakech Second Network Exhibition Hall opened, and on April 28th, the new Agadir exhibition hall was completed. With a total area of nearly 7,000 square meters, the network covers the entire product line of light and heavy trucks.Its lightweight design of the Kapot W model, combined with a 24-hour response after-sales system, has achieved the delivery of 8 orders, breaking the long-term market dominance of Japanese brands. It is expected that the annual orders will exceed 2,000 units, making it the first Chinese brand to achieve independent secondary network operation in Morocco.

The representative of the new force, Weidu Technology, has achieved a breakthrough in compliance and successfully passed the UN ECE R155/R156 dual certification, becoming the first new energy heavy truck enterprise in China to obtain the compliance qualification for EU cybersecurity and software upgrade. Its vehicle-cloud collaborative security architecture and full-scenario OTA system not only break through international technical barriers but also indicate that Chinese electric heavy-duty trucks are about to enter the Western European market on a large scale.

3.Policy and Market Game: Industrial Pain under the New European Emissions Regulations

The European Commission has recently launched the "Road Suitability Programme".It is planned to remotely monitor the nitrogen oxide emissions of trucks through fixed sensors on the roadside, and strictly crack down on violations such as modifying exhaust systems and blocking urea.This policy places higher demands on Chinese truck enterprises exporting to Europe - not only must they meet emission standards, but also achieve real-time data upload in the on-board diagnostic system (OBD), forcing domestic enterprises to accelerate technological upgrades.

The European truck market suffered a "late spring cold snap" in the first quarter of 2025 due to the combination of policy pressure and economic downturn.The overall sales volume was 72,900 units, a year-on-year decline of 16%. Among them, the sales of heavy-duty trucks dropped by 16.6%, and the decline in core markets such as Germany and France exceeded 20%.However, structural opportunities have emerged: new energy vehicle models have grown against the trend. The market share of electric trucks from brands such as Volvo and Mercedes-Benz in Western Europe has reached 12%, highlighting the market potential in the low-carbon transformation.

4.Industry Insights: The Global Logic from Technological Breakthroughs to Ecological Competition

This week's industry dynamics reveal two major trends: First, technological innovation has become the key to breaking through in the high-end market. Whether it's Mercedes-Benz's extreme tests or Weidu's compliance certifications, their essence is a comprehensive competition of technological systems. Secondly, Chinese enterprises are shifting from "low-price competition" to "value output". DeepWay's technological empowerment and Dongfeng's localized service network both demonstrate mature global strategies.

Just as Roger Alm, the global president of Volvo Trucks, said: "The competition of electric trucks is essentially the competition of the entire industrial chain ecosystem."Against the backdrop of the new EU emission regulations and the global low-carbon transformation of logistics, the cost-performance advantages and technological reserves of China's new energy trucks precisely match the upgrading demands of developed countries' markets. From product export to system export, the globalization journey of Chinese commercial vehicle brands is moving from "technology following" to a new stage of "rule participation".

Driven by both green logistics and intelligent transportation, the global commercial vehicle industry is undergoing a structural transformation characterized by "cooling traditional markets and heating up the new energy vehicle sector". When technological breakthroughs and global layout work together, Chinese commercial vehicle brands are expected to write more business paradigms from local innovation to global leadership in the global industrial restructuring.