Navistar’s foray into electric buses highlights surprising synergies

Buses and medium-duty trucks—more so than long-haul semis—are driving developments in the electrified commercial vehicle (CV) segment. That's according to Navistar, which recently shared an update on its wider e-mobility strategy.

The US-headquartered truck maker has been bullish on the zero emissions front, but faces stern competition from other key players and new entrants into the space. Back in January 2018, Chief Executive Troy Clarke suggested that by 2025, Navistar would have more electric commercial vehicles on the road than Tesla, which has long touted its ambition to lead the electric truck segment. Tesla is scheduled to launch a battery-electric Class 8 semi, although timelines are not clear cut. In January 2019, Tesla’s President of Automotive, Jerome Guillen, noted: “I want to start [production] next year.”

Guillen clarified that