A heavy-duty truck that runs mainly on electricity, with hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative source for quick charging, will start normal freight operations in Finland in late 2026 as part of a pilot to prove that emission-free long-haul trucking can work in real-world conditions, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland said..
The SISU Escalate, built by Sisu Auto, will be monitored for six months through vehicle data and a digital twin. The aim is to contribute to the EU’s goal of emission-free heavy road freight.
Battery first, fuel cell second
The truck carries a 650 kWh battery and, as a secondary power source, a fuel cell with a maximum power of 120 kW. Because of the hydrogen tanks and battery pack, the chassis is longer than usual for a tractor unit.
Petri Kananen, head of development at Sisu Auto, said the truck is a testbed, not a product for market. The data will help build energy-management systems and optimize driving so the battery covers as much distance as possible. “Hydrogen is, after all, the more expensive fuel,” he said.
A 336-mile daily route
The truck will drive 540 kilometers (336 miles) a day between Vuosaari harbour in southern Finland and Jyväskylä in central Finland, operated by Jylhä Logistics. It will also handle regional distribution in the Helsinki area. Charging stations stand at both ends of the route, and a megawatt-scale station will be built along it. The truck uses Finland’s first hydrogen fuel station, in Jyväskylä. A fully electric version was tested in spring 2026 by logistics company Rauanheimo.
IONCOR supplies the battery system, Kempower the MCS charging infrastructure, and Hevtec the vehicle-side charging solution and integration of the electric powertrain.
Winter and heavy loads
Finland and Sweden allow articulated trucks weighing up to 76 metric tons (about 84 U.S. tons), against about 40 metric tons (44 U.S. tons) in much of Europe. In this pilot the gross combination weight is capped at 68 metric tons (about 75 U.S. tons).
Mikko Pihlatie, a research professor at VTT, said that with its size and winter conditions, SISU Escalate has the most demanding operating environment of the four trucks piloted across Europe in the EU-funded ESCALATE project. It is also the heaviest and longest of the four.
What the data will show
Researchers will track how weather and other factors affect consumption, what limits emerge, and how much electricity and hydrogen the truck uses. Price data on hydrogen and charging will help estimate how much energy to load and where, and results will be benchmarked against diesel trucks to assess cost benefits. Pihlatie said the findings will help develop the charging station network and optimize energy use.
Juuso Kelkka, a senior manager at IONCOR, said the pilot is a demanding setup, with a modular battery platform in a heavy articulated vehicle in harsh winter conditions on a long-haul route. He said the truck can prove that a lithium-ion battery is a viable solution even in these conditions.