EUCAR Council met in Gothenburg to prepare for the challenges ahead
On 22 April 2026, Volvo Group hosted the first EUCAR Council meeting of the year at its Innovation Center CampX in Gothenburg, Sweden, welcomed by Helene Niklasson, EUCAR Chair 2026 and Head of Innovation Ecosystems & Partnerships, Volvo Group.
In the opening keynote, Jens Holtinger, Executive VP Trucks Technology & Industrial Division and Volvo Group CTO highlighted the global challenges for the automotive industry and how Research and Innovation (R&I) contribute to the technological competitiveness of the EU automotive sector.
The discussion point that topped the agenda was the creation of the future Automotive Joint Undertaking with the objective to have a thriving automotive industry in Europe that creates jobs, drives growth, and protects the environment. Research and Innovation (R&I) has a central role to support the EU automotive industry in this accelerated transformation.
The EUCAR Council is the governing body of EUCAR, bringing together the heads of research and advanced development of the member companies. Together, we provide guidance addressing global societal challenges while strengthening the competitiveness of the European industry.
The day before the meeting, the EUCAR Council members were invited to visit the Volvo Trucks Customer Experience Center to test drive some of the Volvo vehicles on the test track:
Volvo FH Aero Electric 4×2, a powerful, energy-efficient truck with zero tailpipe emissions built for city-to-city transport. Features include Camera Monitoring System and Volvo I-See, an intelligent driving support function that helps a truck use energy more efficiently by looking ahead on the road.
Volvo FM Electric 4×2, a smooth, agile, heavy-duty truck perfect for high-capacity grocery deliveries, container transportation, crane services and more in and around urban areas.
Volvo FH16 6×4, a truckmade for heavy assignments where extra power and torque are needed, such as forestry and timber transportation, mining and quarry transportation. 74 ton GCW with extra high sleeper cab.