Why battery-electric vehicles are the key to sustainable transport

A second strong factor is our customers’ and their customers’ (transport buyers’) sustainability targets. I think with electric trucks we will see a parallel with what has happened in the city bus market.

Municipalities are now setting more ambitious sustainability targets in their transport tenders and that has led to a surge in the market for electric buses. The speed of this city bus journey shows us just how fast the shift can go, especially as growing public concern over climate change drives transport buyers’ behaviour, making them respond to consumers’ concerns over combatting climate change. Now it's trucks’ turn. Indeed, Scania recently delivered 90 electric trucks to the Greater Copenhagen authority for emission-free waste collection on the streets of the Danish capital.

At the same time, we are also seeing an increasing number of state and public authority-funded incentive programmes throughout Europe and beyond, which are partly compensating for the greater initial investment required for a BEV truck and charging equipment. Such programmes can therefore support our customers’ total cost of operation, although as electrification technology becomes established the incentives won’t be around forever, so it is an opportune time for many businesses to start making the switch. 

Another factor is the pace of change. The technology is maturing quickly now, and with each new breakthrough or steady development electric trucks are performing better and the initially modest levels of charging infrastructure keep growing. Longer and longer trips by electric trucks on single charges are becoming possible, and Traton Group, including Scania, is in a joint venture with Volvo and Daimler in the Milence project to increase charging facilities in Europe. From October 2023, we’re also introducing Scania Charging Access, which will provide you with a reliable network of truck capable charge points along the route – all managed in one place and allowing simple charging using Charging Access RFID cards.

Ultimately, Scania believes that the key to solving the charging infrastructure challenge for transport industry companies in the long term is what’s called ‘home depot charging’, where the company has its own charging equipment and station. While it’s not impossible for such solutions to be established in just a few months, it can often take up to several years to get an electric charging home depot up and running, especially if there is a challenge with the grid. You can’t be sure of the timings, so it’s worth starting now, or else face being left behind in this fast-changing market.

The other factor is one that’s perhaps been overlooked or even dismissed: driver satisfaction and retention. There’s a misconception that drivers are an old-fashioned bunch who are deeply sceptical about electric trucks. However, Scania has seen initially doubtful drivers become instant converts when the drivers experience the ease with which electric trucks operate, not least in terms of their lack of cab vibrations and noise. They are powerful and fun to drive, making for a better working environment, something that businesses need at a time when keeping hold of good drivers is a key challenge.