Authentic: Navistar Embodies 2023 Word of the Year

Every year, dictionary brand Merriam-Webster releases its word of the year, and 2023’s word is one that Navistar takes to heart: authentic.

Authentic – not false or imitation; real; actual; true to one's own personality, spirit, or character.

In a world of fast-paced new technology, daring pop culture, partisan politics, and competitive business landscapes, remaining authentic has become more difficult than ever. Despite these challenges, Navistar has proven its authenticity to our goals, values, and strategy throughout 2023. Below are just a handful of the ways our organization has been authentic this year.

We solidified our commitment to sustainability by signing on to the UN Global Compact and setting science-based emissions reductions targets

This year, Navistar made strides toward our goal of net zero emissions by 2050, including joining our TRATON GROUP sister companies by signing on to the UN Global Compact. Participating in the UN Global Compact provides Navistar with a framework to contribute actions towards broader goals as we continue to pursue our vision to accelerate the impact of sustainable mobility.

Over the summer, Navistar President and CEO Mathias Carlbaum signed a commitment to develop science-based targets aligned with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) criteria and submit the targets for validation. Ultimately, submitting decarbonization targets to SBTi will aid in keeping us on track with our goals to continually push our corporate and manufacturing operations toward more sustainable benchmarks.

We fully support social impact efforts and community outreach initiatives

This fall, IC Bus supported numerous educational initiatives with the collection and distribution of school supplies, funding of local and national scholarships, and launch of educational partnerships. And in July, to honor all those who attended the launch of the next generation CE Series in Reno, Nevada, IC Bus donated $10,000 to the Kids in Need Foundation, a national 501(c) charity that helps create equitable learning spaces through the distribution of supplies and resources, investing in teachers and students in underserved schools. This donation will fund 363 students through a program that ships pre-assembled backpacks filled with essential school supplies to qualifying schools.

We launched new shared values and demonstrated their importance

In accordance with the rest of TRATON, we released our shared set of values and held values sessions to deeply immerse ourselves into understanding them. By educating ourselves and ensuring our shared values are at the center of all Navistar’s operations, our goals of becoming an industry leader shine through every customer, supplier, dealer and partner interaction.

We celebrated 25 years of dedicated operations in Mexico

Since opening in April 1998, our Escobedo Assembly Plant (EAP) has produced nearly 880,000 bus and truck chassis. It is also the place where in which the revolutionary International? eMV? Series is produced, the only 100% battery-electric truck manufactured in Mexico. EAP’s dedication to shifting to sustainable operations also pushes us forward toward our sustainability goals.

Our authenticity was acknowledged by various external organizations

From Navistar’s parts distribution center (PDC) network being named the Top Heavy Equipment Supply Chain, to our U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Program recognition for pollution metrics, our hard work to remain consistent with our goals has paid off. In addition, the International S13 Integrated Powertrain was recently named to trade publication Heavy Duty Trucking’s 2023 Top 20 Products. An award was given to the Navistar team at the American Trucking Association’s Technology and Maintenance Council annual meeting in Orlando back in March.

2023 was a year of standing true to our promises as an organization, moving closer to becoming an industry leader and solidifying our place as an important member of the TRATON family. As we move forward into 2024, let’s continue to showcase Navistar’s authenticity in every touchpoint of our operations.