Tatra Trucks company has increased production again in 2023 and prepares further innovations
Last year, the Tatra Trucks company, which is owned by shareholders from Czechoslovak Group and Promet Group, produced and sold 1,451 vehicles, fulfilled its plans and fulfilled its commitments to partners and customers. Last year the company also presented several new technological projects that will significantly affect its future, this year it will present other innovations in its production.
Tatra Trucks focuses primarily on the development and production of all-wheel drive medium and heavy trucks for various purposes and for a whole range of segments. Thanks to this, it can effectively diversify the production and sale of vehicles, but at the same time it tries to maintain a balance of production volume for the civil and defence sectors. All this has a positive effect on the gradual growth of the company, which aims to produce up to 2,500 vehicles per year within a few years. In 2023, Tatra produced and delivered 1,451 trucks to customers, which is more than 100 units more than the previous year. In the fourth quarter of last year, the volume of production significantly accelerated, and the manufacturer is continuing this trend this year as well. Tatra also managed successfully in terms of sales and EBITDA, but its financial results will be published later this year with the annual report.
"Last year, we delivered almost half of the vehicles to the civil sector, mostly to firefighting and rescue services, then to the construction industry, the mining industry, agriculture or municipal services, etc. Over half of the production was made up of trucks and chassis for defence and security forces, including the Army of the Czech Republic, for which Tatra Trucks is a long-term strategic partner. The importance of the domestic market for our company is underlined by the fact that roughly 40 percent of the vehicles were delivered to Czech customers," said Lukáš Andrýsek, CEO of Tatra Trucks. Among the largest buyers abroad are also customers in India, Austria, Slovakia, Australia, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia and Germany, smaller numbers of special vehicles also went to other interesting and highly competitive markets, such as Switzerland, France, Hong Kong or South Korea.
Large contracts for special firefighting trucks and logistics vehicles for the Army of the Czech Republic
Among the most important orders of last year is the order for more than two hundred firefighting specials on Tatra chassis for the Firefighting and Rescue Services of the Czech Republic (HZS ČR). "On the basis of this contract, since last September, in cooperation with THT Polička and KOBIT-THZ companies, we have been working on the supply of up to 232 vehicles for the Czech firefighters. The framework agreement envisages the production of up to 100 CAS 20 fire engine vehicles, 45 CAS 30 fire engine vehicles and 87 CAS 30 fire engine vehicles for high-volume extinguishing, including optional fire accessories and communication devices," stated the executive director of the company, Petr Buršík. This large-scale project follows on a similar order from autumn 2022, in the framework of which last year Tatra, together with THT Polička, ensured the supply of 100 pieces of CAS 20 fire engine vehicles also for the HZS ČR.
"Last spring, we delivered the first examples of Tatra Force 4x4 chassis for special fire engine vehicles, which were developed in cooperation with Rosenbauer company on the basis of an order from the German army. Bundeswehr ordered a total of 77 pieces of Tatra trucks with firefighting superstructures and equipment by this Austrian manufacturer. Last year, Tatra also completed the contract for 209 Tatra Force 6x6 flatbed trucks for the Army of the Czech Republic, when we handed over the last pieces to the army in August," explained Tomáš Mynarčík, the sales director of the company. Tatra then delivered another 30 examples of Tatra Force 8x8 hook loaders to the army, this year they will be followed by the production of another 50 examples of this type of vehicles. The production of chassis for military logistics vehicles, which Tatra supplies to the Belgian army in cooperation with DAF Trucks, also continued.
Tatra Trucks is a manufacturer that also cares for customers with individual and specific requirements. Last year, for example, it produced several chassis for living and expedition vehicles or the unique special Tatra Phoenix with a total weight of 62 tons prepared with the Australian dealer Offroad Trucks Australia for the local mining company Rio Tinto. The “Tatra to Schools” project also continued, through which the company, in cooperation with dealers and regional governments, helps the development of Czech education in the field of automotive and technical services. At the same time, the project supports the modernization of equipment and vehicles of regional road maintenance organisations.
New projects and news for the future
The year 2023 was also marked by the celebration of 100 years of the existence of the Tatra chassis concept with a central backbone tube and swinging independently suspended half-axles, which Hans Ledwinka used in 1923 for the first time in the construction of the Tatra 11 type. It was also the 10th year of successful operation of the Tatra Trucks company under the Czech shareholders from Czechoslovak Group and Promet Group. But the year 2023 also brought innovations that in the near future will bring significant changes to the Tatra product portfolio, which will be of great benefit to customers.
"First of all, at the PYROS 2023 trade fair, we presented the third generation of the Tatra Force model line, namely in the civilian version for firefighters, which brings fundamental electronization and digitization as well as new technical solutions and improved engines.
At the beginning of autumn, we showed the public a prototype of the new generation of the Tatra Force series with an automated steering system in its first stage of development. This truck can be driven by remote control and can thus find use, for example, with firefighters or rescuer services, or in the mining industry.
Further development will lead to a vehicle capable of completely autonomous driving," explained Radomír Smolka, director of research and development of the company. In October, Tatra, in cooperation with its partners, presented a prototype Tatra Force e-Drive truck powered by an electric traction motor in combination with hydrogen fuel cells. This year, this prototype, which is the brand's first electric (and thus locally emission-free) heavy-duty truck in history, will undergo further phases of demanding tests in real operating conditions.
For this year, Tatra Trucks is again planning an increase in production volume, which is to be helped by the restructuring steps gradually implemented since last year. Tatra has good prerequisites for this project, as a large part of the planned production is already covered by customer orders. Tatra also plans to introduce another major innovation in the first half of this year, namely the new generation of the Tatra Phoenix model line. Subsequently, in the middle of the year, they will also introduce the military version of the third generation of the Tatra Force model line, thus completing the customer portfolio of this flagship series.
