In the transportation or logistics business, one might wonder why diesel has remained the go-to choice of truck owners and operators. Cost-effectiveness is one of the main advantages that drives them to rely on diesel-powered vehicles.

Diesel's lower cost per liter makes commercial vehicles much cheaper to run, aside from the fact that diesel engines don't require as much fuel to produce the same amount of power. This means that you get a range of extra kilometers for less money, making the use of diesel-powered trucks perfect for long hauls.

A diesel engine's superior resilience has been proven to extend a truck's lifespan when compared to those running on gasoline, meaning more kilometers for each liter of diesel.

Unlike gasoline, diesel generates higher compression for better combustion, which gives diesel-powered vehicles more torque out of each liter and are able to transport heavier loads faster. That's why diesel is the choice for cargo carriers and any business that require transporting heavy loads.

In this field, Isuzu has remained dominant. With more than 80 years of experience manufacturing diesel engines, and with close to 28 million diesel engines produced, Isuzu sits at No. 1 in various commercial vehicle categories in 29 countries worldwide, including the Philippines.

But with the world market slowly shifting to pure electric alternatives, Isuzu has stepped up production of zero-emission vehicles with the launch of a battery-powered version of its N-series light truck. It even has a tie-up with Honda Motor in developing hydrogen-powered heavy trucks.

Early this year, LG Energy Solutions, one of the world's leading battery makers, has agreed to supply its cylindrical batteries to Isuzu; a deal reportedly worth $748 million. LG has been supplying cells to Isuzu since June 2022. Isuzu intends to use the battery cells in a new electric version of its Elf medium-duty truck.

The Elf EV truck will be available in 3.5-ton and 7.5-ton versions and is expected to feature a Germany-developed CeTrax lite electric drive system and a 40-kilowatt-hour or 60-kWh battery pack.

The diesel engine maker has also invested $1.3 billion to produce an electric version of its D-Max pickup trucks in its Thailand plant. It is reported to have a range of 400 km and is expected to go into production by early 2025. Thailand is Isuzu's largest pickup truck market, but the company also sells its D-Max in over 100 regions.