CHAMPION

Since the launch of our 5% more fuel efficient next generation Scania, it has not only received the “Green Truck Award”, it has also won numerous fuel tests on many markets.

We invited one of our customers to oversee the construction of his new Scania truck. To put into context just why and how fuel efficiency is relevant to our customers. While at the same time providing insight into all the work that goes into every one of those important percentage points.

Even Aandal is the Managing Director at Elias Breivik, a transport company in Ålesund, Norway. What’s important to him – and a notion Scania very much shares – is the fact that you don’t just order a new truck. You order the right truck. A task that requires insight into how it’s being used. 

 “Our truck dealer doesn’t only know and understand my business needs, they know the topography around here.” – Even Aandal

Even was born into the transportation industry – into the company started by his grandfather Elias back in 1935. And even though he started driving trucks as soon as he was old enough to get his driver’s license, eventually he wanted to transition into running the business.

After getting a logistics and business degree from university, his job for the past 15 years has been just that. Running and growing the small family company into an operation with 45 employees and 21 trucks in continuous operation.

When Even arrives at Scania in Södertälje, it’s a rainy Tuesday morning – and he flew in from the west coast of Norway just last night. Today is the day he gets to see how everything comes together – but it’s not where the story begins. Neither for Even nor Scania.

When it comes to the details – after all, there are thousands of options to choose from – input from the driver is crucial. And just like in real life, you have to make compromises and pick your battles. A balancing game between features, comfort and aesthetics on the one hand, and cost and fuel efficiency on the other.

But to make the right choices when it comes to less subjective matters, nothing beats actual data from Even's trucks. So, any order going to Scania is optimised based on data that has been logged over every driven kilometre.

Understanding that data is an important part of James Cooper's job as a Product Manager at Scania. Making sure that his in-depth knowledge about the technical properties of the products can be matched to the client’s needs and contexts. 

Every day at the Scania foundry, hundreds of tonnes of steel are melted down at over 1400°C and then poured into casting moulds. It’s an awe-inspiring sight, and the perfect representation of the raw energy and power we know lies at the heart of a truck.  

As the engine blocks and other components settle down to a workable temperature, they enter the engine manufacturing plant – a building dominated by huge automated machines and robots. However, we get to learn that the closer we come to the finished truck, the more human hands are involved.

When we enter the engine assembly plant, James is there to greet us in person. He’s our host for the day.

While walking through the complex, James stops here and there to point out some particularly interesting parts – now that we can see them in their context – on and in the engine.

“We have a patent on this process where we plasma-coat the cylinder lining to create a microscopic surface to hold on to the oil. It allows the pistons to move with less friction. So, this is one of those hundreds of things that help you save fuel.” – James Cooper

But with fuel efficiency engineering moving beyond engine performance, smartness added by intelligent systems lets you use the power much more efficiently.

Anders Jensen is the Lead Energy Efficiency Expert at Scania, and what he doesn’t know about building and driving fuel efficient trucks is – as the saying goes – not worth knowing. After spending time with him, you realise it’s a saying few people would question.

Making the best use of the support systems does not only mean using less fuel, but also makes the drive easier.

Features like EcoRoll and Active Prediction allow drivers to focus on the traffic rather than micromanaging gear changes, maximising time spent free-rolling in neutral and maintaining the optimal RPMs at any given time.

As we walk deeper into the building, we are met by small trains of carriers bringing exactly the right components, to the right assembly team, at the right time. Clocks count down to the second for every new departure, quite literally. 

“Besides all the skilled technicians working here in the factory, we have over 3,500 engineers working in our R&D department. Meeting customers like Even puts all that detail expertise into context and understanding the whole. While Even comes from the opposite side – working day-to-day with the whole, but always looking to understand the details,” Anders tells us.

The two perspectives meet in a shared mission: Maintaining constant dialogue with drivers. Understanding their perspective – while at the same time providing them with the knowledge about how to drive as efficiently as possible, along with the training and supporting technology that enable them to do so.

Even’s chassis has just started to move down the line. You could say it’s the first few metres of the hundreds of thousands of kilometres it will spend on its life’s journey.

“Every part is important!” James tells us. The wheels and chassis are what literally connects the cargo to the road. Like a really good pair of boots – built to last a lifetime with proper care. 

Part of that care is about creating strong components with high reliability to begin with, but it is equally important to consider optimal serviceability to minimise downtime for the end customer. 

A strong chassis along with the right wheels and tyres makes a big difference to the end product. But you don’t want it overly heavy either – because the more weight in your chassis, the higher your fuel usage, and the less payload capacity, there is too.

The current 13-litre engine promises as much as three percentage points of fuel savings compared to previous models. All attributed to numerous improvements in the hundreds of individual engine components.

And Anders tells us that there’s not a single component in the engine where the engineers are not looking for opportunities to go even further.

A 13-litre 500 hp straight-six engine that runs on either diesel, biodiesel or HVO is heading towards the chassis in front of us. It’s the same engine Even ordered.

“Having that flexibility is great. Even though we’re running on regular diesel today, looking at transitioning to alternative fuels is one of my key focus areas. Knowing that all I need to do to switch to HVO is a filter change is quite reassuring,” Even adds.

Next to our chassis line, new generation Scania cabs enter through a big gate at the side of the building.

For long haulage, like with Even’s drivers sometimes covering more than 500km a day at highway speeds, air resistance isn’t something you overcome with horsepower or torque. At least not without a substantially higher fuel cost.

While the cab is hoisted up and floats over our heads towards the chassis, Anders tells us about the state of the art lab they have here at the Scania campus.

“We can do full climate testing for any climate, but for pure fuel economy, minimising air resistance is the key. If you told our aerodynamics engineers you were going to put a stack of extra lights mounted externally on top of the cab they’d just shake their heads in disbelief,” Anders jokes.

What may sound insignificant to some, makes all the difference when you are trying to perfect every detail.

An underground conveyor system makes sure the right tyres arrive in the right order. Exactly the way Even ordered them – from the manufacturer he prefers.

“The treads and tyre pressures are optimised for the roads back in Ålesund as well as Norway in general. To give the best fuel efficiency in those operating environments,” James tells us.

With the steep, winding and often icy or snowy roads around Ålesund, first priority regarding tyre choice will always be driver safety, Even explains.

Anders nods in absolute agreement, but also reminds us that with current energy declaration for tyres you don’t have to choose between the two. With the right tyre choice and setup, your tyres can be as fuel efficient as they are safe.

And even though this is where the story “The making of a fuel-efficiency champion” comes to an end … it’s where the story of Even's new white – yet green – R 500 truly begins.