Daimler Truck president to lead ACEA CV Board

Karin Rådström, president and CEO of Daimler Truck AG

Karin Rådström, president and CEO of Daimler Truck AG, has been elected chair of the Commercial Vehicle Board of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), effective Jan. 1, 2026. She takes over from Christian Levin, president and CEO of Scania and Traton Group, who held the position in 2025.

The Commercial Vehicle Board of Directors is made up of the most senior executives from ACEA’s commercial vehicle members, which includes the CEOs of DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ford Trucks, Iveco Group, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania Group and Volvo Group.

Rådström said she assumes the role of chair of the Board at a crucial time for the industry. “Trucks and buses keep Europe moving; they are the backbone of logistics and public transport. With many of the world’s leading truck and bus manufacturers based here in Europe, we have both the responsibility and the opportunity to lead,” she commented.

However, she noted that there are challenges that put the industry’s competitiveness at risk. “We fully support the EU’s goal to decarbonize transport – and with dozens of different zero‑emission truck and bus models in series production, our industry is delivering. But substantial market uptake will only happen when our customers can operate zero-emission vehicles as seamlessly and profitably as conventional vehicles today,” Rådström stated.

This is why the industry needs an accelerated review of the heavy-duty vehicle CO2 legislation by mid-2026, she said, adding, “The Commission must take urgent action now to prevent manufacturers from having to pay penalties while the essential enabling conditions are simply not in place. The obligations for manufacturers must be aligned with the development of charging and hydrogen infrastructure networks and policy measures that support robust business cases for our customers, like CO2‑based road charges in all member states.”

Rådström emphasized the need to deliver pragmatic solutions in the coming year that protect competitiveness while driving decarbonization.

“Europe must quickly become our strong home market for zero‑emission technologies. Both the Commission and member states must urgently streamline and simplify the regulation framework and accelerate the demand for zero-emission vehicles,” she urged. “That is what I will focus on in my tenure at ACEA.”