Heavy-duty electric trucks from China penetrating Europe: "A win-win cooperation for all parties"

DNHN - With the European Union aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050, heavy-duty electric trucks appear to be one of the solutions to significantly reduce emissions, promising a new market for Chinese investors.

Han Wen, founder and CEO of Windrose Technology, stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that cooperating with Europe in the development of electric container trucks and heavy-duty trucks will benefit all parties economically and environmentally.

Windrose Technology, a startup specializing in heavy-duty electric trucks, has been continuously increasing its presence in Europe to seek investment and markets for its green trucks in this region.

The company has announced plans to build its European headquarters and its first factory in Belgium, expected to create 3,000 new local jobs. The assembly plant in Antwerp is also expected to produce 10,000 electric trucks annually starting in 2027.

"We chose Antwerp as our European headquarters for several reasons," Han said. "Antwerp is one of the key logistics hubs with crucial geographic, rail, and road transport positions, making it an ideal location for our operations." He also emphasized the proximity of Antwerp to his key partners.

With the European Union (EU) focusing on the development and expansion of electric vehicle usage to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, Han believes Europe will be an important market for heavy-duty electric trucks.

"Heavy-duty trucks are contributors to greenhouse gas emissions... thus electrifying them to reduce emissions in Europe is extremely important," Han said.

Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association shows that more than 400,000 zero-emission trucks will need to be on the roads by 2030 for the region to achieve a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions.

Han stated that his company is considering increasing the localization of the supply chain in Europe and leveraging local manufacturing capabilities for the next step, along with plans to build a battery manufacturing plant. The company's heavy-duty electric trucks completed a 3,100 km one-way test across Europe last May, from Antwerp in Belgium to Warsaw in Poland. Since Europe is open to this, "in return, the company will introduce advanced heavy-duty electric truck manufacturing technologies from China here." Han said this is a win-win cooperation.

Ha Vu