IONCOR, one of Europe’s leading independent battery system providers, supplies its Energy Pack batteries to one of Europe’s most ambitious zero-emission heavy transport pilots as part of the ESCALATE project funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe program. The project brings together Finnish companies and research organizations to demonstrate how battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies enable emission-free long-haul freight transport.
At the center of the pilot is a SISU truck equipped with a 650 kWh IONCOR battery system and hydrogen fuel cell technology. Built on IONCOR’s modular Energy Pack batteries, the system uses cell-to-pack architecture that delivers high energy density and enables scalable battery configurations, making it well suited to heavy-duty truck, bus and off-highway applications.
The vehicle operates primarily on battery power, while the fuel cell acts as a range extender, enabling longer operating distances and greater operational flexibility. The battery system serves as the vehicle’s primary energy source and works in combination with a 120-kW fuel cell, creating a hybrid architecture designed to maximize efficiency while reducing emissions.
Within the Finnish ESCALATE consortium, IONCOR supplies the Energy Pack batteries for the hydrogen hybrid truck. Operating between the Port of Vuosaari in Helsinki and Jyväskylä in Central Finland, the vehicle is designed to achieve a range of up to 500 kilometers on a single charge and up to 750 kilometers when combined with hydrogen fuel cell technology. The pilot will provide extensive operational data to support the development of next-generation zero-emission heavy transport solutions.
“Battery technology is a key element in the electrification of transport. This pilot is carried out under highly demanding conditions, with a heavy-duty vehicle operating in harsh winter environments and on long-haul routes. The pilot gives us a unique opportunity to validate how battery technology performs in real-world operations and generate valuable data for the next generation of heavy-duty electric transport”, says Juuso Kelkka, Senior Manager of Technology Development at IONCOR.
The electric-hydrogen hybrid pilot builds on earlier testing conducted in spring 2026, when a fully electric version of the SISU truck was evaluated in industrial logistics operations. The experience gained from those trials helped validate the performance of battery-electric heavy vehicles in real-world port and industrial environments.
Throughout the ESCALATE project, vehicle performance, energy consumption and overall system reliability will be monitored under real-world operating conditions. The collected data will support the further development of zero-emission heavy transport solutions and infrastructure.
The ESCALATE pilot reinforces IONCOR’s commitment to accelerating the electrification of commercial vehicles through scalable, high-performance battery systems designed for trucks, buses and off-highway applications.
Further information:
Helen Hofmann, Head of Marketing & Communications
helen.hofmann@ioncor-batteries.com
+358405541756
Corporate Communications:
Mikael Mäki, Corporate Communications Manager
mikael.maki@ioncor-batteries.com
+358503174308
About IONCOR
IONCOR is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of battery solutions for electric vehicles with more than three million delivered battery systems. The company focuses on battery systems for heavy-duty transport, commercial vehicles, and mobile machinery used in industries such as logistics, agriculture, construction, mining, and forestry, as well as for the automotive sector. IONCOR supports the electrification of its customer segments by offering modular battery systems, customized solutions, and contract manufacturing services. The company operates three large-scale battery system production plants as well as R&D and battery testing centers in Finland and Germany.
IONCOR is part of the ESCALATE project, a Horizon Europe initiative funded by the European Union. The project brings together 37 partners from 13 countries to develop and test next-generation zero-emission powertrain solutions for heavy-duty transport. The following Finnish partners are involved in the pilot’s development: VTT, Sisu Auto, IONCOR, Kempower, Hevtec, O. Jylhä, Rauanheimo.