Key takeaways: - BYD’s new charging technology can deliver up to 1,500 kW through a single connector, although its current commercial rollout is centred on passenger vehicles. - Cellcentric’s new heavy-duty fuel-cell system delivers up to 375 kW of continuous net power and targets hydrogen consumption below 6 kg/100 km in a fully laden 40-tonne truck. - Iveco and PlusAI are preparing Level 4-capable trucks for trials on the Madrid-Zaragoza freight corridor, with a safety operator remaining on board. - ZF’s TraXon 2 Hybrid combines a combustion engine with a 190 kW continuous-output electric motor and can operate as a plug-in hybrid. - Scania’s ProDriver digital coaching service takes a different approach, using driver training and feedback to cut fuel consumption by up to 5% without changing the truck itself. Five projects have reached the final round of the annual award, but four are directly focused on truck hardware, propulsion or vehicle operation: BYD’s Flash Charging and Blade Battery 2.0, cellcentric’s BZA375 fuel-cell system, the Iveco and PlusAI autonomous-driving programme, and ZF’s TraXon 2 Hybrid. The fifth finalist, Scania ProDriver, is a digital driver-coaching service. The winner will be announced at IAA Transportation in Hanover on 14 September 2026. BYD targets one of electric trucking’s biggest constraints Among the finalists, BYD’s Flash Charging technology delivers the most eye-catching number. Combined with the second-generation Blade Battery, the system can charge at up to 1,500 kW using a single connector. BYD says the battery can be charged from 10% to 70% in around five minutes and from 10% to 97% in nine minutes under its Chinese-market specification. The second-generation Blade Battery also offers a claimed improvement in energy density compared with the previous version. For truck operators, however, there is an important caveat: BYD’s current commercial rollout of the technology is primarily