TITLE:
Typology of Five Generations of Heavy Trucks
AUTHORS:
Lihua Liu, Mike Danilovic, Lifang Liu, Shuan Zhu, Zhen Hu
KEYWORDS:
Heavy Trucks, Typology, Socio-Technical Transitions, Multi-Level Perspective, Battery Swapping, Electrification, Autonomous Vehicles, Technological Innovation, China, Sustainable Logistics, System Integration, Freight Transport
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Engineering and Technology,
Vol.13 No.4,
November
17,
2025
ABSTRACT: This paper presents a detailed typology of heavy-duty truck development, systematically analyzing the sector’s evolution from the early Pioneer Workhorse to the emerging Interconnected Autonomous Innovator. Going beyond a simple, technology-focused narrative, the study applies the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) from Socio-Technical Transitions (STT) theory to reveal a complex, multi-path transition characterized by the coexistence and competition of different socio-technical regimes. The analysis identifies five categories in the typology: The Mechanical Workhorse, The Diesel Dominator, The Electric Steward, The Green Transformer, and The Interconnected Autonomous Innovator, each distinguished by unique combinations of technology, energy sources, software integration, organizational complexity, and key players. A major finding is the shift in innovation leadership from Western brands to China, beginning with The Mechanical Workhorse, culminating in The Diesel Dominator, and gaining momentum with The Electric Steward. However, due to rapid technological innovation in the green sector and a focus on renewable energy, Chinese heavy truck manufacturers strongly positioned themselves with The Green Transformer and became leaders with The Interconnected Autonomous Innovator. This change and re-positioning were radical and driven not by component-level superiority but by a strategic, collective, and co-created model of systemic integration of new technologies. Chinese actors, especially through battery swapping, have pioneered a new approach that emphasizes operational uptime, total cost of ownership, and servitization over incremental hardware improvements. The paper demonstrates that China’s ability to coordinate an ecosystem—aligning industrial policy, energy infrastructure, and corporate innovation—has enabled a form of technological leapfrogging, thereby bypassing the fragmented, market-driven approach of the West in the face of technological disruptions. The future of freight is envisioned as a resilient, interconnected system in which electrification, automation, a multitude of energy storage solutions, and digitalization come together to form a seamless integrated logistics network. In this future, trucks are not just isolated vehicles but nodes within a larger energy and data ecosystem, with the lines between trucks, batteries, and charging stations merging into a unified, service-oriented mobility model. Achieving this vision will require full integration of advanced technologies, including AI-driven autonomy, 6G-enabled real-time connectivity, and universal standards for wireless charging and modular energy systems. The success of this vision depends on unprecedented collaboration among stakeholders to mobilize the entire industry—from solar technology and semiconductor manufacturing to cloud computing and smart city infrastructure. As China has shown, integrating these technologies within a collaborative, co-created framework positions the next dominant regime not just on technological breakthroughs but also on the ability to coordinate complex networks and systems of technology, policy, and infrastructure into a comprehensive, adaptable, and sustainable system. This study concludes that future industry leadership will rely on systemic resilience and integration, providing a vital framework for navigating the transformative future of global mobility.