NextETRUCK can be regarded from different perspectives. Cities might look at access regulations or (sustainable) urban logistics plans, whereas freight forwarders are potentially more interested in the specificities of the trucks that will be tested from late 2024 onwards. The reference group of our NextETRUCK project is therefore the perfect forum to discuss progress and ask questions to the coordinators and project experts. POLIS opened its doors on 1 December for such a forum, which was attended by seven reference group stakeholders in a hybrid environment, who had the chance to discuss the project with partners from ERTICO, TNO and POLIS. The hybrid meeting was divided into an information session, followed by an interactive discussion based on several mentimeter questions. All presentations are available on the bottom of this text.
The short presentations by TNO, POLIS and ERTICO included an overview of NextETRUCK, its innovative aspects and pilots, all followed by short breaks to ask questions. Furthermore, all NextETRUCK communication channels were presented, including a dedicated closed LinkedIn Group and first updates concerning the NextETRUCK Mid-Term Conference and second Reference Group meeting, which will take place on 21 February 2024 in Brussels.
After a short coffee break with informal discussions about the current state-of-play of zero-emission trucks and charging infrastructure, the session continued with an interactive discussion, which was guided by several mentimeter polls related to communication channels, local access regulations for trucks, as well as content preferences for future meetings.
The participants did not prefer social media interaction and would prefer to discuss project results directly with the local experts. Most interest was generated around the topic of ‘charging solutions’ and the respective project plans. Digital solutions, such as twinning or digital planning tools, were also of interest for the group.
Since most reference group members have gained a good overview of the project, the following meeting in February next year will focus on closer engagement with the project experts and work package leaders.