Scania CEO warns Europe is falling behind China on electric trucks

Christian Levin believes Europe’s truck industry is approaching a critical juncture. Policymakers are setting ambitious climate targets and manufacturers are investing billions in new drivetrains, yet real-world adoption is not keeping pace with what the sector expected.

Speaking unusually candidly at an international media roundtable in Södertälje, Levin addressed the obstacles slowing electrification, Europe’s competitive position, and the accelerating momentum of Chinese manufacturers.

Scania scales back its projections for electric trucks

Only a few years ago, Scania expected electric trucks to capture roughly 50% of the market by the end of the decade. The company now considers that outlook unrealistic.

We assumed we would reach 50% by 2030. That was our expectation, Levin told international trade journalists.

The figures today look very different. Scania says battery-electric heavy vehicles accounted for about 2.2% of the European market last year, rising to 2.4% in the first quarter of 2026.

I hope we can at least get to 4% by the end of the year. I don’t know. I really hope so. Order intake is good, but we are nowhere near where we wanted to be.

Levin said it is now possible that by 2030 the market share could be closer to 10% than to 50%.

Some markets show it can work

Levin points to parts of Europe where electrification is already moving quickly, suggesting the technology itself is not the core problem.

While the EU overall is progressing slowly, he says countries such as Norway and Switzerland are already reaching electrification levels of up to 20% in heavy vehicles.

For Levin, that is evidence that progress depends largely on the conditions around the vehicles.

The technology is there. But we need the infrastructure and the right economic incentives.

Charging rollout is the biggest bottleneck

Levin describes the slow build-out of charging as the main reason the market is not taking off.

We believed in ETS2. We believed in the Eurovignette. We believed in AFIR. And we believed there wouldn’t be a war in Ukraine.

He argues that while many policy tools have been agreed, their impact is reaching the market far more slowly than expected.

At the Södertälje roundtable, Levin said that so far only a small share of the originally planned charging network is actually in place along Europe’s key transport corridors. In his view, implementation is currently at around 20% of what was planned.

He was particularly critical of countries where investment incentives for zero-emission commercial vehicles remain insufficient. Levin cited Italy as an example, saying it is not ramping up e-mobility as fast as it could.

In regional distribution, battery-electric trucks are already viable both technically and economically, he said. But in many places the rollout is being held back by missing infrastructure and limited political support.

Electrification also matters for energy security

Levin insists electrification should not be framed only as a climate issue.

Recent geopolitical crises have highlighted how dependent Europe remains on fossil fuels — and how sensitive energy prices can be to international conflict.

That is why, in his view, the debate needs to be broader: electrification means not only lower carbon emissions, but also greater energy independence.

Rising oil prices linked to geopolitical tensions, he said, underline how exposed Europe’s economy still is. Moving to alternative drivetrains can therefore also strengthen security of supply.

China is moving far faster

While Europe continues to debate infrastructure, subsidies and regulation, China’s market is changing at a much faster pace.

Levin said around 25% of China’s heavy vehicle market was electrified last year — roughly 200,000 vehicles.

At the same time, we see China moving far faster.

He noted that many of those vehicles operate in urban environments or on shorter routes. Still, he argues the trend shows what can happen when infrastructure, industrial policy and investment are aligned.

If we keep moving this slowly on electrifying trucks and other machines, China will keep extending its lead.

Europe needs to learn from China

Levin was most blunt when the discussion turned to competitiveness.

He drew a comparison with how European industry evolved in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the 1970s and 1980s, we went to Japan to learn lean manufacturing. Today we need to go to China to learn how to industrialise new technologies faster.

Scania now operates not only a plant in China, but also a development centre with around 800 employees. Levin said the company can see first-hand how quickly new products are developed and pushed into series production.

If China can take a product from prototype to series production in 18 months, then we should be able to do that in Europe too.

In Levin’s view, Chinese companies benefit from faster decision-making and tighter collaboration with suppliers. Where European firms may spend months or years negotiating contracts, Chinese manufacturers and suppliers tend to work more pragmatically towards shared goals.

Battery dependence is a strategic risk

Levin is especially concerned about Europe’s dependence on batteries.

He said China has built a dominant position across large parts of the battery value chain, while Europe has not yet managed to establish a sufficiently strong domestic industry.

For Levin, this is not just an issue for individual companies; it is a strategic challenge for Europe as an industrial base.

In his view, electrifying transport will only succeed if Europe strengthens its industrial foundations at the same time and reduces dependencies in key technologies.

That should worry all of us

Levin argues the stakes go well beyond the future of road freight.

Compared to China, we are behind. That should worry all of us.

He warns that Europe could lose competitiveness in critical future technologies if political decisions and investment continue to move too slowly.

If we keep taking a hundred years in Brussels to decide and implement, other regions will pass us by.

His concern is not limited to the truck sector.

I worry about European industry, European jobs, and ultimately our prosperity.

For Levin, the coming years will determine not only the trajectory of electric trucks, but Europe’s broader industrial competitiveness. From his perspective, electrifying road freight has become more than a drivetrain question — it is a central industrial policy issue.