China's BEV trucks and the end of diesel's dominance

Real‑world BEV truck experience & drivetrains

• Commenters report seeing many electric heavy trucks in Chinese cities and on construction sites, plus growing fleets in Australia and Europe (e.g., eActros, MAN, BYD).
• Some Chinese BEV trucks use noisy straight‑cut gear transmissions; explanations emphasize strength and ease of retrofitting existing diesel drivelines.
• Debate on multi‑speed gearboxes: some suggest they’re needed for torque and efficiency under very heavy loads; others note even single‑speed EVs already have substantial reduction gearing.

China’s lead, trade, and industrial strategy

• Several argue China is already normalizing BEV trucks in urban and short‑haul use, with diesel restricted in cities and overall diesel consumption falling.
• Export of cheap Chinese EV trucks is seen as potentially disruptive, especially to EU/US logistics costs.
• Commenters link China’s push to imported-oil vulnerability and national security rather than just climate goals; less diesel means fewer oil imports.
• There’s disagreement over how far ahead China really is and whether Western democracies can still “catch up” if policy shifts.

Economics: costs, batteries, and energy prices

• Key point: battery pack prices in China are dropping fast; at lower $/kWh, the battery stops being the dominant truck cost, making BEVs structurally cheaper than diesel long‑term.
• Example comparison: ~600 kWh trucks in China are quoted far cheaper than European equivalents, with Chinese industrial electricity also much cheaper than EU power.
• Some note Chinese trucks save money partly by cutting safety/comfort features; others say even at parity they’d still be cheaper.

Hydrogen vs BEV for trucks

• Pro‑hydrogen side: fuel‑cell trucks are lighter, allowing more payload; claimed that fewer trucks could move the same freight, and that H₂ avoids cold‑weather range loss, stores well seasonally, and suits long‑distance, quick‑refuel operations.
• Anti‑hydrogen side: commenters call it uneconomic and “subsidy‑driven,” citing much higher €/km, infrastructure complexity, and poor round‑trip efficiency versus batteries.
• Several argue that with mandated driver rest breaks and 350–400 kW truck chargers, BEVs already cover most long‑haul duty cycles without swapping or H₂.

Source and AI imagery concerns

• Multiple people criticize the article’s AI‑generated header image as misleading despite the small “ChatGPT generated” label, and question the article’s overall credibility.
• Others downplay this, arguing AI art isn’t fundamentally different from staged or edited non‑AI images, though they still find “fake” visuals off‑putting.

Broader transition and politics

• Some frame BEV trucks and cheap renewables as part of a larger energy and economic realignment favoring countries that invest early (China, parts of Europe).
• There’s recurring criticism of US policy and fossil‑fuel lobbying for delaying EV and clean‑tech adoption, contrasted with China’s long‑term industrial planning.