Future of trucks: China’s dream of an automated truck

Truck sales in China are booming. The promotion of more economical diesel engines contributes to this. Research in the country does not focus on electric trucks, but on automated driving.

The largest truck manufacturer in China is the state-owned Di Yi Qiche Jituan, which literally simply means “number one car manufacturer”. The company’s international brand name is FAW. Everywhere in the People’s Republic and also in many developing and emerging countries, the trucks are on the road with the eye-catching FAW logo on the radiator grille.

The truck business is booming

The business of FAW and that of the other mostly state-owned truck manufacturers in China is booming. First of all, the economy in the People’s Republic is still growing much faster than in most other countries in the world – this boosts truck sales. And secondly, some regional governments in China support freight forwarders with money when they buy new, cleaner trucks. That also increases sales.

In China, clean trucks mean: more economical, more efficient diesel engines. Research is being carried out into the electrification of the truck fleet, but it is not a big issue. With one exception: small, two-axle trucks have often been electrically powered in many urban regions of China for several years. These quiet, battery-powered electric trucks supply supermarkets and retail outlets in major Chinese cities.

Many cities closed to 40-ton trucks

Large 40-ton trucks are not even allowed to drive into most cities in China, regardless of how they are powered. That is why you see far fewer trucks in everyday life in Shanghai, Beijing or Guangzhou than in Munich, Berlin or Hamburg.

The big thing in the Chinese truck industry is automation. Chinese startups like “TuSimple” or “Plus AI” are developing software and algorithms so that trucks can move from A to B as driverlessly as possible. This is intended to save costs and, thanks to greater efficiency, also protect the environment.