Fabio Guerrisi, Head of On Road Sales at FPT Industrial: Balkan Markets Are Also Facing the Challenges of the Energy Transition

FPT Industrial does not believe in a one-size-fits-all solution – their goal is to create different powertrain technologies hand in hand in order to build a sustainable future for road transport.

Although best known in the transport industry as engine manufacturers for Iveco trucks, FPT Industrial’s product range is much broader. Headquartered in Turin and part of the Iveco Group, the company operates across multiple sectors: it develops, manufactures, and sells powertrains for the on-road, off-road, construction, marine, and power generation segments. With over 8,000 employees across ten production plants (located in Italy, Argentina, France, Brazil, and China), FPT Industrial produces around 365,000 engines annually, which are sold in nearly 100 countries.

What will the future of commercial vehicles look like, and what roles will diesel, natural gas, and electricity play in it? In an interview with PlutonLogistics, Fabio Guerrisi, Head of On Road Sales at FPT Industrial, provides answers to these questions and more.

PL: What is the current ratio between engines you manufacture for Iveco Group and those for independent, non-captive customers? Who are your key clients outside of the Iveco ecosystem?

– A total of 40% of our engines are supplied to Iveco Group, while the remaining 60% are sold to OEMs worldwide, such as FUSO, TATA Daewoo, Golden Dragon, and Anadolu Isuzu. We build value-driven relationships with each of these manufacturers to meet their specific needs.

Thanks to this approach, we are proud to maintain partnerships that have lasted nearly twenty years, such as the one with FUSO.

PL: FPT Industrial is simultaneously investing in two directions – the development of more sustainable diesel engines and battery-electric powertrains. How do you envision the future balance between these two technologies in the commercial vehicle segment? What is the outlook for diesel engines in a world striving for rapid green transition?

– We are deeply committed to our multi-energy strategy, which is founded on two parallel pathways.

In our vision, internal combustion engine (ICE) technologies will continue to play a significant role, leveraging a variety of sustainable energy carriers to deliver substantial progress in decarbonization. At the same time, we position ourselves as a provider of electrification solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of ePowertrain products.

PL: How do your natural gas solutions, including biomethane, address today’s decarbonization challenges in road transport? How much market interest are you seeing for these technologies?

– In the last decades, FPT Industrial has strengthened its position as market leader in natural gas solutions. All our engine families include natural gas variants, offering clean, innovative solutions with reduced CO2 emissions. These engines are designed to ensure low noise, long life, and daily savings thanks to reduced cost per mile, all while being environmentally friendly and complying with current emission standards.

FPT range of natural gas engines, which includes three engine families, the F1, NEF, and CURSOR, offers displacements from 3 to 12.9 liters, with rated power outputs from 100 to 382 kW – 136 to 520 hp and maximum torque values from 350 to 2,500 Nm.

Since 1997, we have sold more than 100,000 natural gas engines with a European market share of over 60%.

The demand of natural gas engines is still increasing, being a solution that ensures strong economic advantages for on-road business due to minor costs, together with long life and reliability.

PL: What technologies or products are you currently developing related to hydrogen powertrains? At what stage are these projects?

– Hydrogen plays a relevant role in our innovation and R&D roadmap. In the last years, we have taken a decisive turn onto the road to hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines, as they allow CO2 emissions to be immediately eliminated, without changing the operators’ usage methods and habits.

We have already introduced the hydrogen version of our XCURSOR 13, which debuted at Agritechnica 2023: this engine offers 520 hp and was tested in the field on the LEITWOLF snow groomer, in collaboration with PRINOTH. In 2024, at IAA, we unveiled our CURSOR 9 H2: its advanced hydrogen engine technology is paired with traditional mechanical driveline and serviceability as standard ICE, making it the ideal solution for both environmental and economic sustainability.

These two developments highlight FPT Industrial’s commitment to exploring the potential of hydrogen solutions, with the confidence that market interest will grow significantly towards the end of this decade.

PL: Can “green” powertrain solutions truly match the performance of traditional diesel systems when it comes to heavy trucks and the most demanding transport missions?

– Discussing the concept of “green” is always complex, as it, as it often risks being associated with a lack of concreteness, particularly in our sector, since any solution can be considered “greener” than another. Naturally, the closer we get to heavy-duty applications, the greater the challenge of developing truly sustainable solutions.

Regarding our ICE offering, our natural gas engines can deliver the same torque output, and therefore the same performance, as their diesel versions. The N67 NG – the only NG medium-duty truck engine in Europe – the CURSOR 9 NG and the XCURSOR 13 NG are the most powerful natural gas engines on the market, a leadership FPT Industrial has maintained for decades.

Today, the CURSOR NG engines power vehicles such as the IVECO S-Way and IVECO X-Way, developed for heavy-duty missions.

PL: In the context of commercial road vehicles and their powertrain systems, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges over the next five years?

– Alongside the major challenges of sustainability and new technologies, market developments will increasingly create space for customer service offerings focused on digitalization and assistance.

In FPT Industrial, connected solutions enable proactive and remote support, maximizing uptime and reducing the Total Cost of Ownership. Moreover, our competitive advantage is still the strength of a widespread distribution network, which allows us to anticipate and meet the needs of every customer.

PL: Iveco commercial vehicles – from light to heavy-duty – are widely present in Serbia and the broader Balkan region. Considering the specific operating conditions in the region, such as aging fleets, challenging infrastructure, and limited maintenance resources, how do you view these markets? Do you see specific challenges, or perhaps opportunities?

– We operate in various markets around the world, each with its own unique characteristics. The features of the Balkan markets are also common to other areas globally. Before entering production, we validate the specific requirements of each market on a case-by-case basis. With the support of our dealers, we ensure a sales and after-sales process tailored to the needs of the customers and the conditions of each individual market.

This global and diversified presence, along with our position across multiple segments, serves as a solid testing ground for our engines, allowing us to achieve a high degree of adaptability.

Balkan markets, like others, have started to tackle the challenge of the energy transition. The challenges of fleet modernization and electric integration, while specific to each country, are reflected in the development of our line-up and sales strategy, which we focused on addressing these needs—common to many markets.

PL: What will FPT Industrial’s key areas of focus be in 2025? What are the main goals you aim to achieve in the near future?

– Compared to other competitors, FPT Industrial is a cross-segment company, which develops, manufactures, and sells powertrains and solutions for the on-road, off-road, marine, and power generation segments.

This allows us to create synergies in product development and to be more resilient in the face of market cycles such as the one we are currently experiencing. Also, each segment has its own short-, medium-, and long-term objectives, which must be aligned with the specific characteristics of each market.

One key area of focus is undoubtedly the distribution network, with the goal of strengthening our presence through dealers in their respective territories, always aiming to create value for the customer. In parallel, we must increasingly position ourselves to OEMs (cf. Original Equipment Manufacturer) worldwide as a reliable and ideal partner, by building new partnerships and expanding existing ones.