H2Accelerate Trucks steals the spotlight at TRA 2026

The H2Accelerate TRUCKS project was present at the 2026 Transport Research Arena (TRA), held in Budapest from 18 to 21 May, where project partner Volvo Group showcased their fuel cell electric truck at the Volvo Group booth and contributed to the broader conversation on the deployment of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty transport in Europe. 

Presented throughout the four-day event, the truck drew strong interest from policymakers, industry representatives, researchers and transport stakeholders looking at zero-emission solutions for long-distance freight operations. The vehicle on display reflects the project’s ambition to support the transition from demonstration to real-world deployment of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles. 

TRA 2026 offered an important platform for H2Accelerate TRUCKS partners to engage directly with stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges linked to scaling up hydrogen mobility across Europe, including vehicle deployment, infrastructure readiness and cross-sector cooperation. 

The Volvo Group booth also served as a focal point for high-level exchanges on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising freight transport. During a dedicated session, Volvo Group Executive Vice President Trucks Technology & Industrial and CTO Jens Holtinger and Clean Hydrogen Partnership Executive Director Valérie Bouillon-Delporte underlined the importance of collaboration across sectors to accelerate the uptake of hydrogen-powered freight transport in Europe. 

Among the visitors to the booth was European Commission Director-General for Mobility and Transport Magda Kopczyńska, who met with project partners and stakeholders to discuss the future of zero-emission road transport and Europe’s wider sustainable mobility ambitions. 

TRA 2026 also featured sessions relevant to hydrogen and heavy-duty transport, reinforcing the growing momentum behind hydrogen solutions for long-haul operations. Through its presence at the event, H2Accelerate TRUCKS showed how collaborative European projects are helping bring hydrogen-powered freight transport closer to commercial deployment and how Clean Hydrogen Partnership is supporting the transition towards a more competitive and decarbonised transport system in Europe. 

H2Accelerate TRUCKS is co-funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, the Research Council of Norway and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.