If everything goes according to plan, December 2025 will see the debut of the first Super EcoCombi on Dutch roads. These are extra-long vehicle combinations, and the initial stage will be a pre-test involving a single unit operating along a defined route, designed to analyse its behaviour in traffic and assess the reactions of other road users. Should the outcome be positive, the next step will be a pilot trial with multiple vehicles scheduled for 2026.
The Super EcoCombi consists of a tractor unit and two 13.6-metre semi-trailers connected by a special dolly. This means a single vehicle can carry the same load as two conventional 16.5-metre articulated lorries, with clear benefits in terms of productivity, reduced CO2 emissions and mitigation of the chronic shortage of drivers. The concept is not entirely new: numerous units already operate successfully in Finland and Sweden, while Spain has also reported positive results. Germany, too, has launched trial operations along certain logistics corridors.
The Dutch project is coordinated by a working group established in 2019, bringing together institutions and leading industry players: the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), Rijkswaterstaat, the Port of Rotterdam, evofenedex, Rdw, Rai Vereniging and Transport en Logistiek Nederland (Tln). After years of studies and negotiations, all the conditions now appear to be in place to move forward with the trials.
One of the most delicate aspects was the definition of technical and safety regulations. An initial set of requirements has now been drawn up, setting clear parameters: a maximum length of 32 metres, a maximum weight of 72 tonnes, no more than three articulation points, blind-spot information systems, 360-degree visibility for the driver, adequate acceleration power and compliance with heavy vehicle traffic rules. These prescriptions, seen as a starting point, may be refined until they form a stable regulatory framework for the potential wider introduction of the Super EuroCombi.
The vehicle chosen for the pre-test is a combination made up of a 6x2 tractor with a steered front axle, a first three-axle semi-trailer with a liftable steered axle, a two-axle dolly with self-steering, and a second fixed three-axle semi-trailer. Built with components supplied by different manufacturers, it will have to pass Rdw’s technical inspection scheduled between October and November. Only after approval will the road trial begin.
The selected route runs between Rotterdam, Moerdijk and Venlo, with testing lasting around one month. Trials will be conducted under various traffic and load conditions (but without commercial goods), supported by a 360-degree camera system to monitor vehicle behaviour. The data collected will be compared with that of a traditional articulated lorry. Scientific oversight is entrusted to Tno, which has also requested the temporary exemption allowing the Super EuroCombi to operate on public roads.
If the trial is successful, a genuine pilot project could begin in 2026 with between five and ten Super EcoCombi units provided by different companies, operating along several corridors across the Netherlands. An operational plan is already being developed to define scope, procedures and access conditions, including potential decoupling nodes and intelligent access criteria. Interested companies will later be able to join the programme.
The project forms part of the Meerjarenprogramma Terugsluis Vrachtwagenheffing 2026-2030 and is funded through revenues from the forthcoming lorry toll, which is due to take effect in the Netherlands on 1 July 2026. The system of incentives and redistribution of proceeds will apply not only to the Super EcoCombi but also to other sustainable and efficient transport initiatives, with the ambition of accelerating the transition of Dutch logistics towards lower-impact models.
