Driving Real Change: How ZM Trucks Is Building the Future of Zero-Emission Trucking
As the U.S. accelerates its push toward cleaner freight transport, policy and market forces are reshaping what’s possible in trucking. The EPA’s Phase 3 greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, finalized on March 29, 2024, establish stricter CO₂ limits for model years 2027 through 2032. The rule is technology-neutral and performance-based, allowing manufacturers to meet emissions targets through advanced combustion, hybrid, or electric systems. Meanwhile, California has paused enforcement and moved to repeal key provisions of its Advanced Clean Fleets rule after agreeing not to enforce the 2036 zero-emission sales mandate without a waiver from the U.S. EPA. Together, these developments mark a pivotal moment where the path to cleaner, zero-emission trucking is advancing but still being defined.
As regulations evolve and expectations rise, how can manufacturers balance innovation, affordability, and infrastructure readiness in a landscape that’s both accelerating and uncertain?
In this episode of Hammer Down, host Mike Bush welcomes Jeroen Joost de Vries, CEO of ZM Trucks, for a discussion on how the company is reimagining commercial trucking with electric, hydrogen, and autonomous solutions. De Vries shares how ZM’s modular, globally tested approach to manufacturing is designed to meet fleet needs efficiently without overpromising what technology can’t yet deliver.
Main Points of Conversation
- Global Innovation, Local Execution – ZM Trucks builds electric and hydrogen-powered trucks across classes 2–8, leveraging manufacturing and field experience from Japan, Vietnam, and the Middle East to guide its U.S. expansion strategy.
- Infrastructure and Cost Realities – De Vries highlights that while hydrogen remains cost-prohibitive in the U.S., behind-the-fence AC charging solutions can make smaller fleet operations economically viable—if approached pragmatically.
- Autonomous Drayage on the Horizon – ZM Trucks is preparing to launch autonomous drayage trucks within 24 months, focusing on short-distance port operations where zero-emission adoption has the clearest near-term payoff.
Jeroen Joost de Vries is a global automotive executive known for leading innovation, sales, and customer operations across the electric and commercial vehicle sectors. He serves as CEO of ZM Trucks and previously held leadership roles at DeLorean Motor Company, Karma Automotive, and Tesla, where he led worldwide service operations. His career spans more than two decades with major manufacturers such as Mack Trucks and Xi’an Silver Bus Corporation, driving growth, brand transformation, and progress in sustainable mobility.
Article written by MarketScale.
