Scania Pilot Program Evaluates Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks

Scania tests hydrogen fuel cell trucks with partners to assess performance and viability in its Pilot Program, offering insights into sustainable transport.

Scania is reinforcing its commitment to battery-electric transport while expanding its field of practical experiments. The latest phase of the Pilot Partner program shows how the company continues to explore alternative technologies for heavy-duty operations under real conditions. At the transportCH exhibition in Bern, Scania presented a new hydrogen fuel cell truck, marking the start of long-term tests in both Norway and Switzerland. The first vehicle is headed to Asko Norge AS, a long-standing Scania partner, while four additional units will be delivered to Swiss companies Emmi Schweiz, Migros Ostschweiz, Traveco and Retralog in the coming months.

These tests add valuable insights to Scania’s understanding of emerging drivetrain solutions. Battery-electric transport remains the company’s primary strategic direction, but the Pilot Partner program enables comparisons between different technologies across distribution and long-haul operations, including demanding alpine routes and the challenging conditions of Scandinavia. The introduction of trucks equipped with Cummins fuel cells and four 700-bar hydrogen tanks provides an opportunity to observe how such configurations perform on real commercial routes and whether they can offer advantages in long-distance transport.

Asko’s involvement continues a collaboration that began years earlier. In 2020, the company deployed four hydrogen-powered Scania trucks and opened its own refuelling station in Trondheim. The new pilot extends that experience, now with additional European operators joining the evaluation. The shared aim is clear: to determine when hydrogen technology can complement or enhance electric drivetrains in heavy-duty applications.

Scania emphasizes that direct electrification remains its core path forward, yet factors such as range requirements, payload limitations and infrastructure availability make further exploration essential. Through the Pilot Partner initiative, innovation is tested in real-world environments, helping customers progress toward low-carbon transport solutions based on practical evidence rather than assumptions.