"We're 3 years behind": Neither autonomy nor China — Scania's CEO reveals the real problem with electric trucks in Europe

01/11/2026 11:00

Updated to

01/11/2026 11:00

Scania’s CEO, Christian Levin, has never hesitated to speak openly about electric trucks. He made it clear that the European industry is not afraid of China and its manufacturers, even though those companies aim to produce 100,000 electric and autonomous trucks by 2030, offering them at prices 40% lower than current ones.

In a formal statement from Scania — which already offers an electric tractor head with a range of 720 km — regarding its third-quarter results, the CEO once again pointed out the core issue in the European sector, stating that “we are at least 3 years behind.”

The technology is ready; but the necessary ecosystem is 3 years behind

Scania, which achieved a 12.3% profit margin in this third quarter (compared to the same period last year), states in its report that “urgent measures are needed to expand electric transportation” due to those “at least 3 years of delay.”

But it is its CEO who reveals what is at stake: “I’ve said it many times: the technology for electric transportation is ready, but its adoption in the market is progressing too slowly[…], overall adoption is still below what it should be.”

Scania’s CEO continues by explaining, “The problem isn’t a lack of interest from customers: logistics operators recognize that electric solutions are viable for their businesses. However, they need to achieve cost parity with diesel vehicles for their business model to be profitable.”

And that’s the problem for Scania’s CEO: “[Customers] say the ecosystem surrounding these vehicles needs to improve before they can fully commit to the transition” to electric trucks.

Levin does not hesitate to state that “this ecosystem is at least 3 years behind and is still not developing fast enough,” before clarifying what this lagging ecosystem entails: “To achieve full scale for electric transportation, much more needs to be done to implement the necessary infrastructure, grid capacity, and regulatory frameworks.”

The problem is not range or China: this country is actually a solution for Scania

While many believe that the obstacle to the adoption of electric trucks in Europe lies in their range or China, Levin has dismissed these two factors. “By significantly increasing the range of trucks, we are helping to overcome one of the barriers to their broader adoption,” explains Scania’s CEO.

As for China, where Scania has established an industrial center, the reasoning is even clearer: “Being in China allows us to gain a real understanding of cutting-edge technologies, new business models, different customer expectations, and faster development cycles.”

Furthermore, Levin explained how Scania could further leverage its presence in China: “Developing business partnerships is one of the ways we will capitalize on this opportunity.” He also spoke about the Venture & New Business China (VNBC) initiative, which “will identify, develop, and drive new business opportunities in China through strategic partnerships, collaborations with customers, and new projects.”