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At Tatra, things have never really been done like everyone else. Those who know the brand are well aware that the word “conventional” has never been part of Kopřivnice’s vocabulary.

So when Europe started talking about the Green Deal and drastic emissions reductions… Tatra didn’t release a PowerPoint. Tatra built trucks. Three prototypes. Three beasts. Three different visions of the future.

And make no mistake these aren’t flashy concept trucks for a trade show. These are real machines. And at TruckStop, we love that.

Developed in 2022/2023, the Tatra FORCE e-Drive FCEV 8x6 (1+3 with VSE rear steering axle and FIRE-S cab) is powered by two Ballard fuel cells (2 × 110 kW), a 171 kWh Li-NMC battery supplied by EVC Group (plug-in rechargeable), and a Danfoss electric motor delivering 480 kW continuously (580 kW peak) and 2,300 Nm of torque.

The transmission is a robotized version of the Tatra 5TS 210n with Norgren electronic control.

Gross vehicle weight: 44 tonnes, up to 62 tonnes in articulated combination.

Its favorite playground? Mines, quarries, dust-filled environments, extreme heat tough conditions where many road trucks would surrender within 48 hours.

And because Tatra thinks ahead, it also developed a mobile hydrogen station housed in an ISO container. Simple. Efficient. Rugged. Pure Tatra.

Presented in 2024, the second prototype is the Tatra FORCE e-Drive 8x8.1R hybrid. It combines a Tatra T3 V8 Euro III combustion engine (300 kW / 2,100 Nm) with a Danfoss electric motor/generator delivering 300 kW continuously (500 kW peak) and a 67 kWh LTO battery. Power is managed through an Allison 4900 automatic transmission.

With its Euro III engine, FORCE III four-door cab and flatbed body, this prototype strongly hints at future military applications. The army-green color is no coincidence.

Gross vehicle weight: 38 tonnes. Payload: 22 tonnes.

The third prototype is a four-axle, 100% electric FORCE BEV.

Between the FIRE-S cab and the VS-Mont tipper body, Tatra integrated Webasto Pro 40 battery packs totaling 480 kWh (around 3 tonnes of batteries, with an estimated range of 300 km).

The Danfoss motor produces 330 kW continuously (550 kW peak) and 2,300 Nm of torque, transmitted via a 4-speed automated Eaton gearbox and a Tatra reduction unit.

One modern touch: traditional mirrors are replaced with Orlaco camera systems.

Gross vehicle weight: up to 44 tonnes, 62 tonnes in articulated combination.

Tatra isn’t planning immediate mass production. These costly prototypes are primarily about preparing for the future.

If demand, currently marginal (around 1.5% in distribution/urban segments and just 0.05% in construction/mining) were to grow under regulatory pressure, Tatra must be ready.

These projects allow the manufacturer to gain critical experience integrating alternative powertrains into its unique Tatra chassis concept. A progressive approach, but a clear and intelligent strategy.

A 100% Tatra mindset: unconventional, pragmatic, effective.

Text: Milan Olšanský – French adaptation: Fabien Calvet Photos: Tatra