Scania has continued its transition towards sustainable transport system options by enabling decarbonised transports solutions through battery electric vehicles, providing better transport economy for its customers.
Scania Explore New Technologies in its Battery Development
There has been a rapid development of electric solutions for heavy-duty vehicles, including the fast advancement of battery technology in respect of energy storage capacity per kg, as well as in charging time, charging cycles and economics per kg. With Scania having industry-leading fossil and biofuel powered solutions in most transport applications, these solutions will prove to become more cost effective, primarily in repetitive and predictable applications.
Alexander Vlaskamp, Head of Sales and Marketing at Scania explained both the growth of battery electric solutions, as well as Scania got involved: “We saw that battery electric solutions were the first zero-tailpipe emission technology to reach the market broadly. For the customer, a battery electric vehicle requires less service than a conventional one, meaning higher uptime and improved costs per km or hour of operations. We learnt from the bus segment that transformation started early, so battery electric options have grown in popularity, and remain in high demand. Scania’s timing in this segment initially was not optimal, however it provided good experiences and we are presently accelerating with the new Scania bus range. It also gave us good base knowledge as we ramp up the electrified truck business.”
The company has already launched a fully electric truck as well as a plug-in hybrid truck. In a few years’ time, Scania plans to introduce long-distance electric trucks that will be able to carry a total weight of 40 tonnes for 4.5 hours, and fast charge during the drivers’ compulsory 45-minute rest. By 2025, Scania expects that electrified vehicles will account for around 10 percent or our total vehicle sales volumes in Europe and by 2030, with 50 percent of vehicle sales volumes expected to be electrified.
Scania Invests in Hydrogen Technology for the Future
Scania is the sole heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer investing in hydrogen technologies, with vehicles in operation with customers investing in hydrogen technology the engineers have gained valuable insights from their early testing, however they admit that hydrogen testing requires three times as much renewable energy to power a hydrogen truck compared to a battery electric truck.
Repair and maintenance for hydrogen vehicles also need to be considered. The cost for a hydrogen vehicle will be higher than for a battery electric vehicle as its systems are more complex, such as an extensive air- and cooling system. Furthermore, hydrogen is a volatile gas which requires more maintenance to ensure safety.
However, hydrogen is a promising energy carrier; good way of storing energy over long cycles, and will play an important role in decarbonisation if produced in an environmentally friendly way. Scania therefore will be sourcing fossil free steel for its trucks as hydrogen will play a greater role in several industries.
Stationary fuel cells are an important component of the electric charging system. This solution is especially promising in areas with abundant renewable energy, and in rural areas off the main electricity grid.
“To do what’s best for both our customers total operating economy and our planet, we are not closing the door on any possibilities. It is clear that Scania’s focus in the here-and-now perspective as well as short- term is a combination of renewable fuels and battery electric vehicles. We see that for basically all segments,” Vlaskamp continues.
A Commitment to Extend on Electric Product Applications in the Bus and Truck Segment
By 2025, With Scania aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 50%, Well-to-wheel is their latest imitative, a policy far more stringent than the legislative regulations which centre on tank-to-wheel. With the company looking to launch at least one new electric product application in the bus and truck segment every year, they’ll be focusing on both societal investments and societal investments for battery electric vehicles.
“Scania’s focus is our customers’ business. Transport operators must be able to continue performing assignments in a sustainable way at a reasonable cost,” Vlaskamp concludes.
