During May and June, NextETRUCK hosted a series of three webinars to launch its pilot activities in the UK, Spain, and Türkiye, showcasing the next generation of medium-duty electric trucks. In the UK webinar, Louis Jones, EV and Connected Services Director at DAF Trucks UK, introduced the company and its manufacturing and assembly facilities, where DAF’s electric trucks are produced. He highlighted DAF’s position as the UK market leader for 31 consecutive years, supported by a strong local presence that enables close collaboration with customers and drivers.
Jones also discussed how UK and EU regulations are accelerating innovation and driving the transition to zero-emission freight transport, with ambitious targets in place for the gradual phase-out of non-zero-emission vehicles.
A key focus of the presentation was DAF’s Battery Electric Truck Trial (BETT), developed in collaboration with CENEX. As part of the programme, 20 LF 19-tonne electric trucks were deployed with UK operators to gather real-world operational data and support early adoption of electric freight vehicles.
Over the two-year trial, the vehicles consumed 275,000 kWh of electricity and travelled 287,000 km, achieving an average range of 270 km. The results were made publicly available to provide operators with valuable insights into the performance of electric trucks in real-world conditions.
Building on these findings, DAF identified three main objectives for its next-generation electric vehicles: demonstrating the improved efficiency of the DAF XB compared with the LF platform, establishing total cost of ownership parity between electric and diesel trucks, and gaining a deeper understanding of the factors influencing vehicle efficiency.
The DAF Electric XB is a 19-tonne 4×2 vehicle equipped with a 282-kWh battery pack and manufactured exclusively in the UK. Its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries offer up to 4,000 charge cycles and can be charged to 100% daily without significantly affecting battery lifespan, providing operators with confidence in the long-term viability of the technology.
The project is also investigating the impact of factors such as driver behaviour, temperature, road conditions, and vehicle load on energy efficiency. To support cost-effective operations, DAF is testing low-power charging solutions, including a 40 kW PACMobile charger, which reduces infrastructure requirements and installation costs for fleet operators.
Looking ahead, DAF plans to further extend vehicle range, enhance driver training programmes, assess performance across different drivers and operating conditions, and integrate advanced route-planning tools to optimise efficiency.