Strong European market is tainted with uncertainty, says Scania

The heavy commercial vehicle market is a cyclical industry that relies heavily on accurate forecasting. Both OEMs and suppliers alike strive to seek clarity on not only external factors such as politics and economics, but also trends within the industry such as the move away from fossil fuels. In order to make major investments in specific technologies or markets, manufacturers need an accurate representation of future demand. But with fluctuations in the value of currency and level of freight, such long-term decisions are becoming increasingly difficult to make.

“There are always challenges in an industry as cyclical as ours, and you never know whether you are going to have a steep increase or steep decrease in your market,” says Christian Levin, Executive Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing at Scania. “But that has always been a challenge. What has added to that, from a micro perspective, is