SISU prepares hydrogen-electric truck for Finnish freight pilot

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has presented the SISU Escalate, a battery-electric truck equipped with a hydrogen fuel-cell range extender. The vehicle is scheduled to begin regular transport trials in late 2026.

Jylhä Logistics will operate the truck between Vuosaari harbour and Jyväskylä, covering approximately 540 kilometres daily. A six-month monitoring period will examine energy consumption, reliability and the effects of weather, using vehicle data and a digital twin.

Testing battery and hydrogen performance

The truck combines a 650 kWh battery with a secondary fuel cell rated at up to 120 kW. Its gross combination weight will be limited to 68 tonnes during the pilot.

Researchers will compare its performance with diesel-powered vehicles and assess how charging and hydrogen costs affect operation. Sisu Auto describes the truck as a technology-testing platform rather than a model intended for commercial launch.

The programme follows earlier trials of a fully electric SISU truck in Kokkola. KWH Logistics said its subsidiaries Rauanheimo and Adolf Lahti tested that vehicle in bag transport operations for TETRA Chemicals Europe, between a bagging facility and port storage.

Those trials examined short, repetitive industrial journeys, including charging, regenerative braking, thermal management and driver experience. The forthcoming programme will assess long-haul operation using both battery power and hydrogen.