Photo: Scania
Sweden has already proven to be one of the pioneers of sustainable transportation, and Scania, the truck manufacturing giant, is playing an important part in that. The heavy-duty vehicles of the future could be both fully electric and autonomous, and Scania intends to be prepared for the advancement of these innovative technologies. The latest step in that direction is a cutting-edge test track.
The truck manufacturer has already extended its operations in Sodertalje, with the opening of a new foundry and the development of a battery assembly facility that will also be completed soon. In addition to that, it recently announced a huge investment worth almost one billion SEK (more than $107 million), for a new test track dedicated to autonomous and electric heavy-duty vehicles. The funding will also be geared towards extending current tracks.
The construction process is set to begin this year, but it will most likely take several years to complete – according to Scania, no sooner than 2026. The location was specifically chosen so that the future test tracks would be close to the entire production and development chain, as well as to all the electric and autonomous heavy-duty vehicles in the greater Stockholm region.
“Our ambition is to be a leader within electrification of heavy vehicles and also strengthen our ability in autonomous vehicles over time,” said Anders Williamsson, Head of Industrial Operations at Scania.
At the end of last year, the manufacturer introduced its first heavy-duty electric truck. With a 70.5-ton (64 tonnes) weight, including the load and the trailer, the heavy-duty e-truck entered service with Wibax, a chemical supplier, covering a daily route of almost 50 miles (80 km), between the cities of Pitea and Skelleftea in northern Sweden. Earlier that same year, a large food retailer in Sweden’s capital also started operating Scania e-trucks for daily grocery deliveries.
Already on its way to becoming a leader in the electrification of heavy vehicles, the truck maker also wants to include autonomous technology in its future developments, so this new test track will prove to be essential for reaching that goal.
The construction process is set to begin this year, but it will most likely take several years to complete – according to Scania, no sooner than 2026. The location was specifically chosen so that the future test tracks would be close to the entire production and development chain, as well as to all the electric and autonomous heavy-duty vehicles in the greater Stockholm region.
“Our ambition is to be a leader within electrification of heavy vehicles and also strengthen our ability in autonomous vehicles over time,” said Anders Williamsson, Head of Industrial Operations at Scania.
At the end of last year, the manufacturer introduced its first heavy-duty electric truck. With a 70.5-ton (64 tonnes) weight, including the load and the trailer, the heavy-duty e-truck entered service with Wibax, a chemical supplier, covering a daily route of almost 50 miles (80 km), between the cities of Pitea and Skelleftea in northern Sweden. Earlier that same year, a large food retailer in Sweden’s capital also started operating Scania e-trucks for daily grocery deliveries.
Already on its way to becoming a leader in the electrification of heavy vehicles, the truck maker also wants to include autonomous technology in its future developments, so this new test track will prove to be essential for reaching that goal.
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