This way, we are jointly building a new battery ecosystem

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Please introduce yourself!

My name is Toon Uppelschoten and in 2000, I started working for DAF Trucks in Eindhoven as a Production Engineer in the Truck Factory. Here, the trucks are being assembled. Two years later, I moved on to the Engine Plant, which is always under development and where continuous improvement is key. Today, I am responsible for Production Engineering at the Engine Plant, a department with some 70 enthusiastic engineers.

I am fascinated by movement. We are successfully selling our PACCAR MX engines worldwide. Those engines comply with the latest legislation. To continue building on this success, production needs to be continuously increased and operations must be flexible and innovative. To meet the CO2 goals pursued by society and the truck industry, we are currently, of course, also focusing on alternative propulsion systems, such as the electric powertrain. Hence, our involvement in the very first discussions about the Battery Competence Center.

Within DAF, we have a dedicated team focused on developing the battery pack, the most important component of an electric truck. Progress has been rapid and many parties in this region and in the Netherlands have acquired relevant knowledge in this field. It is essential that we know how to find one another. The Battery Competence Center has helped greatly in this respect.

Smart people, cooperation and speed are key to success regarding the development of battery packs. Thus, creating the flywheel effect to ensure we are ready to face the future. Jointly with the Battery Competence Center (BCC), we are currently working on 'the next big thing', which looks very promising.

What is DAF’s role within the partnership with the Battery Competence Center?

It is my job and my intrinsic motivation to start new projects and to seek partners to jointly work on these projects. Of course, we seek those partners within DAF, but certainly also outside our organization. We can only become and remain the best by working together and being flexible.

It is not easy to win an award such as the 'International Truck of the Year 2022'. Our New Generation DAF trucks are groundbreaking in terms of CO2 reduction, driver comfort and traffic safety. These trucks are fully compatible with future power trains, such as hydrogen engines and electric engines with battery packs. Thanks to the commitment of more than 1,200 employees who are working together to create something beautiful, the PACCAR MX engines are such a huge success. And as far as I'm concerned, that's also the formula behind the Battery Competence Center; cooperation.

The goal of the BCC is to establish a battery ecosystem in the Netherlands and to accelerate the development of battery packs. A battery pack is a core component and the most expensive part of an electric vehicle. They are especially customized for trucks. Many of the battery packs that are used in Europe are currently being manufactured in the Far East. If battery-electric vehicles will become the next big thing, we have to carefully think about the supply chain. Do we want to be dependent on China, Korea or Japan for the most performance-critical and expensive component of the vehicle? Or are we going to produce it ourselves? The Netherlands has the potential to do that.

We - as DAF - are experts in setting up and continuously improving processes for series production of heavy-duty powertrains. And there are other regional players that greatly help develop this growth market. This way, we are jointly building a new ecosystem. An ecosystem that not only allows us to excel in comparison with countries that have the same ambition, but also helps us create valuable employment in the Netherlands.

Developments are happening so fast, that if we wait five years, we will be too late. Again, we can only get this done if we work together. Everyone has some knowledge, and by bringing all that knowledge together, we can really make it work for the Netherlands.

In what way is DAF helping to solve the global challenges?

We are continuously updating engines and introducing new zero emission powertrains. To meet our own ambitions, but also to comply with climate change legislation. What we do helps to fight climate change.

How will the innovations of the Battery Competence Center affect the Dutch citizens?

One of the activities of the BCC is to create battery business in the Netherlands. We do this with an ecosystem of companies and knowledge institutions that all work together. In the past, we mainly sold trucks for the customers to drive in. But there is much more to electric transportation. Like infrastructure, because you need to be able to charge the trucks. And big data and services, because you need to plan differently, for example. The requirements for electric transportation are different, but it also offers opportunities, in respect of high-quality employment for example. The BCC will help us make this business successful, one step at a time.

We are also thinking about talents. By providing training opportunities to further develop those talents.

What parties do you want to work with to achieve success and what are the topics people can contact you for?

The battery pack is the key component for electric transportation. We can save a lot of money by developing and making the hardware and software that we are currently importing from other countries ourselves. That is why the Battery Competence Center is focusing on batteries. We are already working together with various partners, such as knowledge institutes and innovative start-ups, and we have more interesting parties in mind. By using the BCC network to communicate what we need to achieve our ambitions, we often automatically come in contact with the relevant parties.