BK-CVI | Forecast X.1

Autor: Bodo Klein

  • LESSONS LEARNED #10 – The Next Vehicle Sale Starts with a Decision, Not a Configuration.

    LESSONS LEARNED #10 – The Next Vehicle Sale Starts with a Decision, Not a Configuration.

    From Selling Vehicles to Orchestrating Customer Decisions

    One insight from my discussions this week stood out in particular:

    Many transport operators are facing a fundamental question:

    Which vehicle and which technology are actually right for our next transport mission?

    Diesel? Battery electric? Hydrogen? A different vehicle concept?

    Or perhaps an entirely different transport solution?

    Traditionally, the sales process often starts with a vehicle, its configuration and its price.

    But what happens when customers do not yet know which vehicle they actually need?

    This is where real value creation begins.

    With the right decision.

    As I continued developing FORECAST X.1 this week, one thing became increasingly clear to me:

    We need to rethink the customer journey.

    Not:

    Vehicle → Configuration → Price → Sale

    But:

    Mission → Context → Options → Decision → Solution → Lifecycle

    Different stakeholders naturally approach this decision from different perspectives:

    • Fleet Operations: Can we reliably fulfil our transport missions?
    • Workshop & Maintenance: What technical stresses and downtime will we face?
    • Asset Management: How will costs, battery health and residual values develop?
    • Executive Management: Which decision makes economic and strategic sense?

    This creates an interesting opportunity for vehicle manufacturers, dealers, leasing companies and mobility service providers.

    Those who help customers make the right decisions can do far more than simply sell vehicles.

    They can orchestrate the entire customer journey — from the initial transport mission through financing, energy, charging infrastructure and operations to remarketing.

    Decision Intelligence becomes the starting point of the Customer Experience.

    And perhaps this is where one of the most promising future business models in our industry begins.

    My question to you:

    Should the future commercial vehicle sales process begin with vehicle configuration — or with understanding the customer’s actual transport mission?

    I welcome your experiences, different perspectives and critical thoughts.

    Create the future with FORECAST X.1.

    Trusted Facts. Trusted Decisions.

    Bodo Klein
    Editor-in-Chief & Publisher
    BK-CVI Editorial Office

    Originally published in German on LinkedIn, 16 October 2026. English adaptation for the BK-CVI Editorial Office.

  • SPOT ON #11 – A Vehicle Can Enter a Market. A Transport Solution Has to Prove Itself in the Market.

    SPOT ON #11 – A Vehicle Can Enter a Market. A Transport Solution Has to Prove Itself in the Market.

    Not long ago, one of the key questions was:

    “Does a heavy electric truck actually work?”

    That question is becoming less relevant.

    • Ranges are increasing.
    • Charging performance is improving.
    • Model variety is growing.

    And new market entrants are bringing additional momentum into the European commercial vehicle market.

    But this is where the real challenge begins:

    Does the entire process work?

    Because a technically good vehicle alone does not solve a transport task.

    What matters is the interaction of:

    Mission → Vehicle → Energy → Infrastructure → Service → Spare Parts → Availability → Financing → Remarketing

    Especially when entering a new market, this is where it becomes clear whether a convincing product can also become a reliable transport solution.

    • What happens in the event of a breakdown?
    • How quickly are spare parts available?
    • Who provides service and repairs?
    • Does the energy infrastructure fit the mission?
    • What is the real operational availability?
    • And how does the vehicle’s value develop over its lifecycle?

    For me, the key question is therefore shifting more and more from:

    “Which powertrain is best?”

    to:

    “Which solution works for this specific mission — as a complete system?”

    That is where Decision Intelligence begins.

    Create the future with FORECAST X.1. Trusted Facts. Trusted Decisions.

    Bodo Klein
    Editor-in-Chief & Publisher
    BK-CVI Editorial Office

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