Exploring the applicability of Kempower solutions in Heavy Electric Traffic – Market analysis for scaling (Kempower, Finland)

Express your interest in a SMAR3TS secondment – Your opportunity at Kempower (Lahti, Finland)

This Innovate3X (I3X) challenge is initiated by Kempower within the SMAR3TS project and requires a secondment with a minimum duration of 30 days.

Fully funded by the European Commission, the four-year SMAR3TS project started in October 2025 and brings together 35 partners worldwide to accelerate resilient, restorative and regenerative transitions through research and innovation mobility.

Secondments offer a unique opportunity to collaborate directly with Kempower EMRC and its Heavy Electric Traffic Ecosystem (HETE) partners on real-world deployment challenges.

For more information, please see the details in the attachments.
Please note: Secondments are open only to SMAR3TS Consortium Partners.

Kempower EMRC and the Heavy Electric Traffic Ecosystem (HETE) are currently conducting technology pilots for high-power and megawatt-level charging solutions in heavy transport contexts.

The current stage is pilot to early implementation, with technologies approaching market readiness. However, scaling remains constrained by uncertainties around:

- market demand and regional differences,

- infrastructure investment models,

- regulatory and grid-related constraints,

- operational requirements of fleet operators.

This I3X addresses these gaps by complementing technical pilots with market, policy and ecosystem analysis.

Necessary skills and capabilities across disciplines

R&I stages:

☐ Idea / Conceptualization
☒ Pilot / Proof of Concept
☒ Early Implementation

The I3X challenge invites research and innovation talent within the SMAR3TS project to contribute to market assessment, business case development and ecosystem analysis through secondments at Kempower (EMRC) in Finland.

This I3X Is Looking for Skills and Capabilities across Disciplines for:

• Business case modelling & scenario analysis (TCO, ROI for fleets & infrastructure).
• Techno-economic assessment & lifecycle sustainability analysis.
• Development of industrial, policy, and community pilots. Cross-disciplinary methods (engineering + economics + social sciences).
• Stakeholder & ecosystem engagement (logistics firms, energy providers, policymakers).
• Market intelligence and competitor benchmarking.
• Impact measurement & evaluation methods.
• Knowledge of EU transport, battery, and charging regulations.

Secondments Could Support Work on market analysis to understand how Kempower could scale the development of (HETE): e.g., cross-country analysis to anticipate the market needs, infrastructure, and trends related to charging heavy-duty vehicles; leveraging global EV-charging infrastructure data for innovation pilot/software development/other solutions that could support HETE.

Potential areas for secondments:

• Market analysis for scaling heavy EV charging(EU/Nordic logistics corridors). Innovation in business models (CaaS, BaaS, leasing models).
• Policy and regulatory mapping(EU, Nordic, Finnish incentives for e-trucks).
• Engagement with logistics operators, SMEs, and municipalities for pilots.
• Sustainability assessments(LCA, circular design, second-life battery use).

Examples of challenges that need to be addressed

(1) Market & Business Models:

• Lack of proven cost models for megawatt charging hubs.
• High upfront investment costs for SMEs in logistics sector.
• Limited clarity on viable business models (CaaS, BaaS, leasing).
• Market analysis and competition benchmarking;
  designing new business models for sustainable mobility

​(2) Technology Adoption:

• Slow standardization of megawatt charging (MCS).
• Interoperability gaps between truck OEMs, chargers, and grid operators.
• What to do about charging of autonomous vehicles (automation 2030)?

(3) Sustainability & Circularity:

• Recycling and second-life use of large truck batteries.
• Integration of renewable energy and storage with charging hubs.

(4) Data & Analysis:

• Limited insights from real-world data on heavy EV truck charging behavior.
• Gaps in predictive modelling for grid impact and logistics routing.

(5) Ecosystem Development:

• Coordination needed among logistics firms, energy providers, municipalities, and policymakers.
• Scaling the ecosystem and applicability of Kempower solutions in other countries

I3X at Kempower – About the initiator

1. Background info

Kempower is a Finnish electric vehicle fast-charging equipment manufacturer specializing in DC fast-charging solutions for all electric vehicle types, including cars, buses, trucks, construction machinery and marine applications. With a power range from 40 kW to over 4 MW, Kempower plays a key role in advancing zero-emission mobility. The company focuses on all areas of electric mobility, from electric cars to trucks and buses, as well as construction machinery and marine. Recently, Kempower has been ranked 8th in the Financial Times FT1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies in 2025.

Kempower’s EMRC and HETE program are developing megawatt-level charging solutions for heavy electric trucks, buses, and off-highway vehicles, with pilots underway. Focus areas include charger hardware, modular power distribution, and software for smart energy management.

Website: https://kempower.com

2. Research Group/Company Department

Electric Mobility Research Center (EMRC): https://www.lut.fi/en/emrc

The Electric Mobility Research Center (EMRC) is a joint research and innovation platform that supports the development of heavy electric traffic charging technologies, digital platforms and ecosystem-based business models. EMRC operates within the Heavy Electric Traffic Ecosystem (HETE), a large-scale R&D programme focused on electrifying heavy transport sustainably.

The group combines expertise from electrical engineering, energy systems, software, data analytics, business and social sciences to support the transition from pilot technologies to scalable market solutions.

What EMRC is striving for:

Contact for this I3X:

Henna Falk,Head of Talent and Culture at Kempower; email: henna.falk@kempower.com

Ville Naumanen, Director of Kempower Electric Mobility Research Center – EMRC; email: Ville.Naumanen@lut.fi

See attachment: Expertise and available technologies at Kempower within the SMAR3TS project and examples of strategically relevant I3X initiatives.

Alignment to Work-Packages (Nutrition, Mobility, Energy, Housing)

SMAR3TS domains that are relevant to the work of Kempower organization/research and innovation team:

Mobility domain:

• Kempower’s EV charging solutions accelerate the transition to sustainable transport and low-carbon heavy logistics.
• Secondments could support market analysis to understand how Kempower could scale the development of HETE: e.g., cross-country analysis to anticipate the market needs, infrastructure, and trends related to charging heavy-duty vehicles; leveraging global EV-charging infrastructure data for innovation pilot/software development/other solutions that could support HETE.

Alignment to Resilience, Restoration, Regeneration (R3)

Enabler of resilience:

Electrified mobility is dependent on the availability of charging infrastructure. Kempower’s modular, flexible, and grid-friendly charging systems strengthen transport networks’ resilience and continuity, especially in heavy logistics. Modular, scalable DC fast charging systems ensure flexibility and redundancy in transport infrastructureand enhance energy and transport resilience during grid disruptions.

Link to restoration and regeneration:

By shifting mobility away from fossil fuels, Kempower EV-charging solutions support sustainable mobility(cleaner air, reduced noise, and lower carbon emissions). Collaborations with renewable microgrid providersand smart energy management systemsprovide opportunities for regenerationof heavy truck mobility infrastructures.

Note:

Click here for instructions on how to plan for a secondment.

The expression of interest for the secondment at Kempower must be submitted via the platform. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and you will be contacted as soon as possible. For any questions, please contact: info@smar3ts.eu