Electrified heavy transport is already happening. This is something that Scania and Wibax show with this new vehicle which runs solely on electricity. The electric truck has a total weight of 64 tonnes, including load and trailer, and will run on the roads between the cities of Piteå and Skellefteå in northern Sweden, a distance of 80 kilometres one way.

The vehicle’s performance and load capacity are made possible by the development of a significantly stronger electric motor. As part of a long-term partnership, Scania and Wibax will work together to optimise the use of the vehicle over time – including charging, battery life length and route planning.

This will also provide valuable insights to Wibax as they prepare to add additional electric vehicles to their fleet in the future. For Wibax, the Scania electric truck is a way to reduce the climate impact from
its operations.

“We have done our utmost to be sustainable since the company was founded in 1986, and as we have identified transports as our biggest environmental impact, this electric truck is a step to ensure we can carry on with our operations with the climate in mind. During the lifetime of this truck, Wibax will reduce CO 2  emissions by up to 1,400 tonnes, making it a true game-changer,” says Jonas Wiklund, CEO of Wibax Group.

Scania and Wibax have a close collaboration to enable this electrified solution.  “This is the first fully electric 64-tonner that we put on the road in customer operations. Step by step, we are demonstrating that electric solutions are happening very fast and for basically all segments,” says Fredrik Allard, Head of E-mobility, Scania.

The continued and rapid development puts further focus on the need for infrastructure and green electricity also outside the urban areas. Steps are being taken but more speed is needed. In this case, the power company Skellefteå Kraft has been involved and is delivering the charging infrastructure.

“It is vital for us to be at the forefront in sustainability matters. It shouldn’t just be something you read on a piece of paper; it should mean something for real. Lighter electrified trucks have been available on the market for a while, but for us, it only really matters now when we are able to electrify our 64-tonne loads. Our values are ‘great chemistry’ and this investment is in line with that motto. These issues have been on the table for long, but now we see that the demand for sustainable solutions from the market increases. This is beginning to happen for real,” says Wiklund.