Scania drives connectivity

Since 2015, Scania has teamed up with communications giant Ericsson for the Mobile World Congress. Held annually in Barcelona, it is the largest event for the telecommunications industry, attracting some 100,000 key industry decision-makers. This year, Scania’s presence is larger than ever before with a new generation Scania truck at Ericsson’s stand.

“With greater demands on the transport industry to reduce its climate impact, heavy vehicles will increasingly rely on connected services to provide better and more efficient solutions,” says Mattias Lundholm, Vice President, Connected Services and Solutions at Scania. “These services will, for example, enable transporters to improve logistics planning and utilise vehicles better while drivers can plan optimal routes for fuel efficiency.”

Last year at the Mobile World Congress, Scania and Ericsson explored opportunities for joint research in connecting vehicles in autonomous platoons. A year later, Scania has already announced it has been selected to design the world’s first full-scale autonomous truck platooning operations, based on its own advanced technology. The platoon will traffic public roads while transporting containers between port terminals in Singapore. The aim is to organise convoys of four trucks – with the following three trucks behind the lead truck autonomously driven, as well as to fully automate the processes for precise docking and undocking of cargo.

“Connected and electrified autonomous vehicles are undoubtedly driving innovation in our industry, which in many respects is merging with telecommunications,” adds Lundholm. “We recognise the many opportunities to address the challenges of climate warming and mobility in growing cities by developing new connected services and products for our customers.”

Follow the live broadcast from Mobile World Congress at 08:00 CET on Monday.