To find out more about DAF’s EV strategy, Freight Carbon Zero interviewed the manufacturer’s EV and Connected Services Director for the UK, Louis Jones.
Jones joined DAF in June 2024 from Scania where he was the Transformation Lead for Electric Charging. In his new role, Jones focuses on: “Our proposition from an electrification perspective across sales and ensuring that our network is ready from an after sales perspective as well.” This is all part of DAF’s support system to help operators make the switch to electric.
“The end of my job title is ‘connected services’,” Jones adds. “That’s our PACCAR Connected telematics offering which goes hand in hand with our electric offering in terms of supporting operators as they move to get the most out of their fleet.”
This year is expected to be hugely pivotal for DAF’s electric trucks in the UK with several deployments planned across a number of different partnerships. “We’ve got the ZEHID programme kicking off this year in earnest which DAF is a member of three of the four consortia: Electric Freightway, ZENFreight and eFREIGHT 2030.”
DAF has sold over 80 electric 4x2 tractor units across the three consortia which Jones says, “I hope that will be a big catalyst for electrification. This year is focused primarily on tractor units but hopefully a lot of those operators will follow up what they’ve done through ZEHID outside of it as well.”
The manufacturer is also thinking wider than the ZEHID programme and running its own early adopter programme with 10 operators taking one 19-tonne DAF XB Electric rigid each. “The first one has already gone on the road with Evri and we’ll be delivering the rest over the course of the next month or so. These are box and curtainside vehicles focused on inner city distribution,” Jones says.
Insights from both the ZEHID programme and early adopter trials will be used to help operators to identify the best specification for their business. The vehicles being deployed as part of ZEHID are equipped with the maximum number of batteries for the most range and typically DAF sees operators opting for maximum range, but Jones says, “I think over time that will change slightly as operators get more comfortable and take their second tranche of electric vehicles. If they’ve got a better understanding of how to maximise the range of the vehicle within their operation then they might feel comfortable taking vehicles with less battery capacity and not automatically go for the maximum.”
DAF is evaluating how best to specify vehicles with operators to find the right balance between range and payload capacity. This is where detailed analysis helps to make the process a data-driven approach.
Jones adds, “Separate to the telematics offering we have a route simulation tool where we sit with the customer to understand what weight they’re running at and postcodes they’re running between in a typical day. Then we can give them a realistic range figure based on the data we input. The outcome of that may be that the range figure far exceeds what they actually need. That’s when we have a conversation about taking a battery pack off and what that looks like.”
As more operators look to purchase an electric truck for the first time or acquire additional zero emission units, DAF is scaling up production to meet changing demands. “All OEMs are in a similar position in terms of ramping up production this year. It feels like this year will be a big one for building up demand from the market,” Jones says. “The XBs for the early adopter programme are being built at Leyland and we’re building the tractor units for ZEHID both at Leyland and Eindhoven.”
Charging infrastructure
With the vehicle side of the EV transition sorted, DAF is supporting infrastructure needs with its PACCAR Power Solutions division. “We’re looking at battery storage alongside charging hardware infrastructure itself,” Jones says. In the future there will hopefully be a role for second life batteries to extend the life cycle value chain.
As well as looking at operator charging solutions, DAF is installing fast charging across all of its dealer locations in the UK. There is potential for this to be used as a semi-public charging network or as an additional facility for operators when their vehicles are in the workshop.
Inevitably, some operators will need to use public charging infrastructure to maximise range or for instances where back to base routes aren’t workable. Jones says, “We’re part of the HDV Booking consortia in Europe looking at how you book charging slots.” For commercial vehicles, it’s thought booking charging slots will be the best way to ensure availability and reliability for charging during driver breaks. The idea is to create a platform to help operators unlock longer range capabilities. HDV Booking plans to be live throughout Europe by 2026.
Hydrogen plans
While DAF’s electric trucks are already on the road, its hydrogen vehicles are a little further away. The PACCAR Group’s strategy varies depending on region, so in the US, Kenworth and Peterbilt brands are working in partnership with Toyota on a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) which has already undergone prototype testing of 10 Kenworth T680 FCEVs at the Port of Los Angeles.
In Europe though, the focus is on hydrogen internal combustion with DAF winning the 2022 truck innovation award for its hydrogen engine. Based on the company’s existing 13-litre MX engine, the hydrogen unit is modified with a spark ignition and low compression ratio to run on hydrogen gas. Since the engine can tolerate hydrogen with a lower purity and doesn’t need a battery, it’s a simpler solution than FCEV technology.
Although PACCAR is working on hydrogen solutions across the group, DAF is keen to lead its alternative fuels strategy with battery electric first. The company doesn’t believe hydrogen will be an easier alternative to electric since there are many factors affecting the commercial viability of hydrogen. In the future there is potential for hydrogen to be a player in long haul transport but as charging infrastructure expands, some of the existing issues with long distance battery electric transport are expected to be resolved.
