NextETRUCK and ESCALATE hosted a joint session on zero-emission freight as part of the ERTICO ITS Congress, which took place in Istanbul from 27–29 April 2026. The collaboration between the two EU-funded AEVETO cluster projects was particularly apposite, as Ford Otosan, the local Turkish OEM, is a constituent of both projects and contributed substantially to the event through the display of its “NextETRUCK” on the exhibition floor of the congress. The latter served as the centrepiece of the joint morning session, which was co-organised by ERTICO and the POLIS Network, and marked the official commencement of the pilot operation of the vehicle, which operates between two Ford Otosan manufacturing facilities in the eastern periphery of Istanbul.
NextETRUCK and ESCALATE addressed key deployment challenges for zero-emission trucks
Whilst conventional internal combustion engine vehicles require only periodic annual checks, their battery-electric counterparts necessitate a complex interplay between the battery system, the drivetrain, the thermal management architecture, and data analytics tools to monitor and capture data for assessing vehicle performance and driver behaviour.
Accordingly, the principal focus of the event encompassed digital twins for vehicle performance evaluation, total cost of ownership modelling, and lifecycle assessment, as well as the innovative vehicle architecture of the physically exhibited ‘NextETRUCK’ developed by Ford Otosan.
Attendees were invited to participate in a dedicated ‘special interest session’ entitled ‘Advances in Digital Twins with AI as an Enabler of Efficient and Cost-Effective Electric Truck Transport’ on the following day, an opportunity for in-depth exchange with leading experts from the AEVETO zero-emission truck cluster, held on the following day.
Digital tools
Following a concise introduction to the objectives of digital tool development, a targeted technical overview of the Istanbul-specific developments was delivered by Arif Burak Ciftci (Ford Otosan). The expert highlighted the energy reduction capabilities and efficiency gains identified through digital twin testing, currently conducted at Ford Otosan’s private proving ground facilities, whilst public trials of the vehicle and its digital twin functionalities are anticipated in the near future.
Electric trucks
Whilst the joint session naturally centred upon the development of Ford Otosan’s vehicle, Jean-Charles Pandazis (ERTICO) also outlined the research being conducted within the framework of the two further NextETRUCK pilot schemes in Barcelona and the United Kingdom. Whilst the latter has only recently commenced operations, the Barcelona use case has already concluded six months of daily operational deployment of a medium-sized battery-electric vehicle engaged in the collection of bulky household waste, including furniture and electrical appliances.
This introduction was followed by a detailed technical account of the local pilot operations delivered by Mustafa Basara (Ford Otosan). The pilot lead presented the considerable achievement of a three-tonne mass reduction, accomplished through the development of a bespoke aluminium chassis that enables the full structural integration of the drivetrain and battery packs.
Furthermore, the existing driver’s cab was repositioned at a lower height to reduce aerodynamic drag and thereby extend the vehicle’s operational range. The cumulative effect of numerous incremental refinements undertaken by Ford Otosan’s dedicated engineering team resulted in a road-homologated vehicle, a significant milestone and a strong foundation for the continued advancement of electric truck development.
How was the ‘NextETRUCK’ received by the audience?
As the highlight concluding the side event, participants were invited to view Ford Otosan’s ‘NextETRUCK’ on the congress exhibition floor. Owing to its distinctive livery in the NextETRUCK project colours, the vehicle drew considerable attention from many of the approximately 2,000 congress attendees.
What are the forthcoming plans for NextETRUCK?
The occasion of an expert audience was utilised to promote upcoming NextETRUCK events, including the Green Mobility Exchange in Amsterdam in mid-May, the forthcoming webinar series in June, and most importantly the NextETRUCK final conference in late September in Brussels, which will serve as the capstone of the project. The medium-sized electric truck will continue its operational deployment throughout spring and summer on its daily routes across the eastern periphery of Istanbul, whilst the resulting operational data will be subjected to analysis by several NextETRUCK project partners.
Our presentations
Digital Tools
•Overview of NextETRUCK digital tools (Omar Hegazy, VUB)
•NextETRUCK Istanbul: Implementing Digital Twins for EV Thermal and Energy Optimization (Arif Burak Ciftci, FORD Otosan)
•Digital tools of ESCALATE (Ahu Ece Hartavi Karci, University of Surrey)
•Battery-electric trucks in urban use:
•Introduction to the pilots of Barcelona and UK (Jean-Charles Pandazis, ERTICO)
•NextETRUCK: Enabling the Next Generation of Electric Commercial Vehicle Platforms (Mustafa Basara (FORD Otosan)