RTR 2025: key takeaways from the “Zero emission systems for HDV” session

Monday, February 24th, 2025

The 8th edition of the RTR Conference (11–13 February 2025) brought together over 400 industry experts, researchers, and policymakers to discuss the progress in EU-funded road transport projects. During the “Zero Emission Systems for Heavy-Duty Vehicles” session, held on 13 February, four projects – ZEFES, EMPOWER, ESCALATE, and EBRT2030 – presented their work on decarbonising long-haul freight and public transport.

Moderated by Eric Cerneaz (CINEA) and Ian Faye (Robert Bosch), the session provided valuable insights into the challenges, innovations, and next steps for accelerating the transition to zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles.

Key takeaways from the session

Scaling up zero-emission Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDVs)

The four projects develop and test a range of battery electric and fuel cell solutions for HDVs that address the unique challenges of long-distance freight transport, including:

ZEFES: Developing modular battery and fuel cell HDVs for long-haul transport, optimising powertrain configurations and energy management.
EMPOWER: Focusing on eco-operated, highly efficient multi-powertrain solutions to increase vehicle range and operational flexibility.
ESCALATE: Advancing standardised, scalable powertrain components and integrating AI-driven fleet management tools.
EBRT2030: Demonstrating next generation electrified Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) solutions, addressing infrastructure and energy efficiency.

Key challenge: Ensuring that emerging zero-emission HDVs meet operational requirements without compromising payload capacity, vehicle range, or cost efficiency.

Infrastructure readiness: the role of charging and refuelling networks

A common theme across all projects was the urgent need for infrastructure deployment to support HDV electrification. Discussions highlighted:

Mega Charging Solutions (MCS) for battery electric trucks, addressing power availability, grid connection challenges, and the need for standardisation.
Hydrogen refuelling stations ensuring high-speed refuelling (up to 170g/sec in ESCALATE) to meet logistics industry requirements.
Corridor-based infrastructure planning optimising charging/refuelling locations in line with freight transport corridors.

Key challenge: Infrastructure deployment lags behind vehicle development, creating uncertainty for fleet operators and hindering large-scale adoption.

Overcoming regulatory and market barriers

The session highlighted the importance of policy alignment and regulatory support to ensure a smooth transition to zero-emission HDVs. Critical areas include:

Harmonisation of EU-wide regulations on weight, dimensions, and cross-border operations.
Incentives and funding mechanisms to reduce the cost gap between diesel and zero-emission vehicles.
Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) studies to demonstrate the long-term financial and environmental benefits of electrification.

Key challenge: The regulatory landscape remains fragmented, slowing down adoption and making long-term investment decisions difficult for fleet operators.

Digitalisation & AI

As vehicle electrification moves forward, digital tools and AI-powered systems will be key to optimising fleet operations. Projects showcased:

Digital twins to simulate vehicle performance, charging strategies, and fleet management.
AI-driven predictive maintenance to improve vehicle reliability and extend battery lifespan.
Eco-routing tools that optimise energy consumption based on real-time traffic and infrastructure availability.

Key challenge: Ensuring data availability and interoperability between different logistics stakeholders to fully leverage AI-driven solutions.

Next steps for zero-emission heavy-duty transport

The session made it clear that while technological progress is accelerating, the transition to zero-emission freight transport will require:

Stronger industry collaboration between vehicle manufacturers, logistics operators, energy providers, and policymakers.
Accelerated infrastructure deployment to match the pace of vehicle development.
Regulatory certainty and financial support to de-risk investment in new technologies.

As ALICE continues its work in logistics innovation, we will actively support research, industry collaboration, and policy development to drive zero-emission transport forward.

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