Key technologies are high-performance powertrains and solutions for software-driven trucks
- Markus Heyn: “The heavy-duty commercial vehicle business is a key growth area for us. We aim to double our sales in this segment by the mid-2030s.”
- By 2026, one in three newly registered electric trucks in Europe will be powered by an electric motor and inverter from Bosch.
- Major new order from global commercial vehicle manufacturer for electric powertrains secures long-term collaboration.
- With intelligent sensor technology and software, Bosch is paving the way for automated driving and reducing the total cost of ownership for fleet operators.
Stuttgart and Hannover, Germany – The commercial vehicle industry is facing virtually unprecedented opportunities – but also challenges. Rising transport demands driven by the growth of global trade, stringent regulatory requirements, and a worsening driver shortage are putting pressure on the industry and driving up total cost of ownership. Bosch’s answer to this is more technology that opens up new economic prospects. “The heavy-duty commercial vehicle business is a key growth area for us. We aim to double our sales in this segment by the mid-2030s,” said Dr. Markus Heyn, deputy chairman of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility business sector, at the IAA Transportation 2026 in Hannover. The robust commercial vehicle market is also bolstering Bosch’s business. While global vehicle production is expected to show an overall downward trend in 2026, the heavy-duty commercial vehicle segment (vehicles weighing over six metric tons) is proving to be more resilient. Following a strong first half of the year, Bosch expects global truck production to grow moderately by about 1 percent to approximately 3.3 million trucks, and then to 4 million units by the mid-2030s. On the basis of this forecast and the market uptake of corresponding technologies, Bosch sees the potential to double its heavy-duty commercial vehicle technology sales from today’s more than 4 billion euros by 2035. At the same time, assuming a solid final quarter, the Bosch Mobility business sector will be able to maintain its 2026 revenue level despite the current challenges and demanding market environment.
“We’re leveraging our strength as a global systems supplier to accelerate the transition to alternative powertrains and new vehicle architectures,” Heyn said. The company’s portfolio ranges from hardware and software to artificial intelligence and cloud-based services that make operating commercial vehicles safer and more economical. Bosch is also boosting its growth by entering new business areas. The company plans to establish a new joint venture with Brakes India and Wheels India, two subsidiaries of the TSF Group, to develop smart actuators for compressed air generation, compressed air treatment, air suspension, and parking brakes.
Powertrains and technology for all markets
A key element of Bosch’s growth strategy remains its broad portfolio of alternative powertrain technologies. The company is consolidating its market position in battery-electric mobility: in 2026, one-third of all newly registered battery-electric trucks in Europe are powered by electric motors and inverters from Bosch. A major new order from long-time partner Daimler Truck for the eActros electric truck underpins this success: the agreement covers the supply of electric powertrain components manufactured in Europe.
Similar to the passenger car segment, the pace of transformation in the commercial vehicle market also varies by region: electromobility is rapidly gaining momentum and is becoming especially widespread in China. Bosch estimates that by 2030, about one in four newly registered heavy-duty trucks worldwide will be climate-friendly – powered by batteries or fuel cells – with that figure going up to about half by 2035. In the North American market, on the other hand, the traditional – and in some cases, hybridized – diesel engine continues to dominate. “Achieving the world’s climate goals in the transport sector isn’t an ‘either-or’ proposition – we have to use every technology that helps us transition away from fossil fuels,” Heyn said. “Batteries are also becoming the lead technology in commercial vehicles, but in heavy-duty long-haul transport and on global markets, they will continue to rely on hydrogen and alternative fuels to supplement them.” That’s why Bosch consistently focuses on technological diversity and, in addition to fuel-cell power modules, also supplies key components for hydrogen-powered combustion engines. At the same time, the company intends to systematically expand its leading position in diesel engines and continues to optimize conventional injection systems to help vehicle manufacturers meet new emissions standards such as Euro 7. For the global fleet, renewable synthetic fuels can also help make rapid progress toward climate goals.
Smart sensors for new safety requirements
The commercial vehicle industry is undergoing a transformation, one that’s not limited to powertrain technology: to improve safety on its roads, the EU has made an increasing number of driver-assistance features mandatory in recent years; the most recent regulations were introduced in July 2026. The emergency braking assistant must now also reliably identify pedestrians and cyclists, and the driver monitoring system is required to detect not only drowsiness but also distraction. Bosch provides the necessary sensors and functions. In 2027, the company will launch new generations of its multipurpose camera and radar sensor, both of which will enable precise detection of people and vehicles, thanks to the latest AI technologies and significantly greater computing power. A digital rearview mirror with a built-in camera that analyzes driver behavior and issues warnings when it senses driver distraction went into mass production in 2026 at two well-known European manufacturers. Even outside Europe, major markets such as India and China are tightening their safety standards. In India, for example, new regulatory requirements are pushing up demand for modern driver assistance systems, such as emergency braking assist and blind-spot detection. Bosch is already working there with leading commercial vehicle manufacturers to implement the appropriate ADAS solutions in order to support the introduction of the new safety standards.
With its comprehensive portfolio of systems and sensors, Bosch helps create a complete view of the truck’s surroundings and enhances driving safety and convenience. Thanks to intelligent software algorithms, data from the various sensors in the vehicle is combined and analyzed in real time. The cameras and radar systems are also suitable for higher levels of automation. “Level 4 automated driving is the goal, in part to address the driver shortage in the logistics sector,” Heyn said regarding the automation roadmap. “The software can handle increasingly complex driving tasks, thus reducing the burden on the logistics system.”
On the path to software-driven commercial vehicles
Modern commercial vehicles are collecting and processing increasing amounts of data. The ever-expanding range of powertrain, assistance, and automation functions is leading to much greater complexity in electrical and electronic systems. In addition, competitive pressure in the industry is creating a strong incentive for systems integration, as combining components into complete systems reduces complexity and, in turn, costs. For example, vehicle functions that were previously distributed throughout the truck are now consolidated on central computing platforms for domains such as the cockpit or the vehicle. Furthermore, software and hardware are being consistently decoupled. This is a prerequisite for rolling out new features across the entire vehicle portfolio and throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle by means of over-the-air updates. Bosch and its subsidiary ETAS are developing the central E/E architectures required for this, featuring high-performance, scalable vehicle computers and the associated software platforms. “The software-defined vehicle is gradually becoming a reality in the trucking industry as well,” Heyn said. As a result, customers are benefiting from the company’s systems expertise, as it is well-versed in both hardware and software. Software-defined mobility in the trucking business addresses the industry’s most critical factor: total cost of ownership. For fleet operators, the software-defined truck significantly reduces day-to-day complexity.
