The JV aims to manufacture battery cells for commercial electric vehicles at a 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory that is anticipated to cost between USD 2-3 billion and come online in 2027.

Built for the U.S. Department of Energy’s SuperTruck II programme, the prototype truck, described by Paccar as a “testbed for future product technologies”, was developed in order to improve freight ton efficiency by 100% compared to a 2009 baseline.

The partners plan to initially invest a combined USD2.64bn to build a facility with a production capacity of 21 gigawatt hours (GWh) of batteries per year for commercial and industrial vehicle applications.

The JV aims to manufacture battery cells for commercial electric vehicles at a 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory that is anticipated to cost between USD 2-3 billion. The emphasis is on pioneering better battery chemistries that last longer, are safer, lower in cost and are more environmentally sustainable, preferably without the need for nickel and cobalt raw materials.

The company has broken ground on a new (EUR 85 million) 240,000 square foot (22,000 square meters) distribution centre in the city of Massbach, Bayern, Germany to support parts supply to DAF customers in Germany, Switzerland and France.

The TX-18 Pro automated transmission will come with two new features: Off-Road Calibration and Rock-Free Mode.

Paccar announced earlier this year that Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks built from 2024 onwards will be installed with Platform Science's 'Virtual Vehicle' edge computing hardware.

The deal will mark the first time that ZF’s OnTraX system for lane keeping assistance has been installed in a commercial vehicle platform in North America.

The owner of DAF, Kenworth and Peterbilt reported revenues of USD28.82bn, earnings of USD3.01bn and a net income of USD921.3m.

Paccar says that select Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks built from 2024 onwards will be installed with Virtual Vehicle, an edge computing platform that provides access to telematics, real-time data and third-party applications directly from the vehicle.

According to DAF, the new PACCAR PX-5 and PX-7 engines, in combination with the new automatic 8-speed PowerLine gearboxes, offer up to 7% higher fuel efficiency compared to the previous models.

The centre currently offers around 200 young pre-owned DAF vehicles.