Scania rolls out its next level BEVs

Scania first presented its next level of battery-electric zero-emission regional trucks in June 2022 and has since built up a solid order book.

Production will now commence in Sweden for trucks with R and S cabs with 400kW (535hp) or 450kW (600hp) of engine power, sufficient for a wide range of applications. With updated urban battery electric vehicles including new green battery packs and e-adopted chassis, Scania says its offering has now reached a level that makes it attractive and relevant for a broad spectrum of customers.

“Operating zero-emission trucks is no longer a privilege for the chosen few,” says Fredrik Allard, Senior Vice President and Head of E-mobility at Scania. “Scania’s offer now covers a wide span of applications and customer demands, while offering services that are lowering the threshold for a transformation towards fossil-free transports for the many.”

Scania’s next level of regional battery electric trucks have impressive numbers including GVMs up to 64 tonnes, range up to 390km and top power levels up to 600hp.

“Apart from true long-haul operations, few buyers today cannot find what they need from an operational viewpoint,” says Allard. “Sure, there are still certain applications that are less prone to turn electric in the near future, but many buyers will be amazed when they realise what these trucks are capable of and their efficiency together with our digital services.”

Scania’s latest electric trucks are offered as both rigids and prime movers. Both R- and S-series cabs are now available in Europe. Range will always vary with weight, operation, weather and driving style, but a 27-tonne city tipper with six batteries can expect up to 350km between each charge. One hour of charging will then add 270km of range.

Allard said that charging an electric truck takes a different mindset that filling up a diesel truck.

“We are a bit stuck on the concept of always filling from 10% to 100% as we do with diesel,” he said. “With battery-electric vehicles the mindset should be to charge for the required range instead: if you have 120km to go to your home depot charger, it would be unnecessary to charge for more than that distance with some small extra margin.”

Scania’s first battery electric trucks have been on the market since 2021 and have spear-headed the company’s transition towards fossil-free trucks mainly for urban applications.

Scania says it is now gearing up its offer for applications such as distribution trucks and light tippers. With the addition of e-adapted chassis, batteries by Northvolt and new auxiliary systems that will add better functionality and less complexity, new doors are opened.

In parallel, Scania is introducing a range of new electric motors, the EM C1-4 family, in no less than five different power levels. The EM C1-4 is expected to become the volume seller for Scania, due to its flexibility and five different levels of power output.

“By this addition, we introduce the opportunity to also tailor the battery-electric vehicles, based on their actual operations,” says Allard. “With its five different power levels and four gears, this electric motor has flexibility written all over it. With this as the foundation, we can guide each customer to exactly the right configuration regarding the number of batteries and our services so that it truly fits their needs.”

Scania is using cells from the Swedish manufacturer Northvolt, which have the capacity for powering trucks for 1.5 million kilometres. Their carbon footprint is approximately one-third of a comparative industry reference.

One of the main strengths of Scania’s batteries is their charging characteristics. Unlike many other battery packs, Scania’s batteries can be charged repeatedly up to 100% of the SOC-window without any impact on their lifespan.

We don’t know exactly when all this will come to Australia but we were told Scania Australia is considering when it will bring these trucks to our market. We’ll keep you posted.