IRU and industry partners were recently in Zeebrugge, Belgium, to review progress in electrifying long-haul freight transport under the EU-funded ZEFES project.
The ZEFES stakeholder group, including IRU members the Fédération Nationale des Transports Routiers (FNTR) and Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), met for a day of technical presentations, operational insights and live demonstrations. They reviewed progress, outlined plans for the project’s final year, and discussed the technical and operational challenges ahead.
A key highlight was a live demonstration of IRU member Scania and Volvo battery-electric trucks charging at an ABB Megawatt Charging System installed at a warehouse in the Zeebrugge port area. Delivering up to one megawatt, the system confirmed that high-power charging can be completed within the standard driver rest break, helping reduce operational downtime.
The Zeebrugge site also demonstrated how electrification can be integrated into real logistics operations. The project linked charging infrastructure with a rail-connected automated high-bay warehouse to test operational flows and quantify requirements for electrified high-capacity vehicle combinations.
The demonstration further showcased the project’s focus on high-capacity, long-haul freight applications. Modular configurations were presented, including an electrified dolly prototype integrated into a high-capacity vehicle combination. These concepts aim to increase payload per trip while maintaining zero-emission performance, addressing one of the key barriers to electrifying heavy-duty long-distance transport.
The event also included a visit to the high-bay warehouse facility of ECS, a provider of integrated supply chain logistics and intermodal transport solutions. The highly automated logistics hub is equipped with advanced storage and retrieval systems and robotic pallet-handling technologies. The site illustrates how vehicle electrification can be integrated into modern intermodal logistics environments.
Now entering its final year, the ZEFES project has launched route demonstrations across Europe, including operations involving IRU member Sesé’s duo-trailer combination powered by a Scania electric truck.
Additional long-haul trials will test real-world daily operations under different corridor conditions in the coming months. Interoperability testing of both the Megawatt Charging System and Combined Charging System interfaces will also intensify, supporting the project’s roadmap to transition demonstrators into scalable, standardised and market-ready solutions for zero-emission heavy-duty transport.
