The world’s first electric logging truck was recently delivered to SCA, Europe’s largest private forest owner, in what appears to be a watershed moment for the commercial motor vehicle industry.
Scania AB, a Swedish truck manufacturer, announced a joint venture with SCA in November 2021. Their plan was to develop a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that could travel longer distances carrying timber with a total weight of 80 tons on private roads and 64 tons on public highways.
“The key to reaching zero emissions in transport is electrification, and we will get there together with customers and other stakeholders that share our values,” Fredrik Allard, Head of E-mobility at Scania AB, reportedly said at the time. “Partnerships like this one with SCA, where we are early out and demonstrating what is possible, is a clear sign of a change of pace that is needed for us to be fossil-free and deliver on the targets of the Paris agreement.”
In California, tax credits and incentives are provided to truckers who transition from diesel-powered rigs to BEVs. Port systems such as Vancouver, Canada, are phasing out older Class 8 vehicles that produce more emissions than newer models. Although some skepticism persists that power grids are not ready for millions of rigs to plug in, the BEV timber truck’s recent delivery appears to be something of a game-changer.
“An electric timber truck is a symbol of something pretty cool. Shipping of timber has been talked about as something that might never be possible to electrify,” Allard reportedly said. “The development in recent years and what we are now presenting together with SCA shows how fast the development is taking place both in terms of vehicles and batteries.”
The Scania log hauler is reportedly being put through its paces before joining the SCA timber fleet. SCA also plans to involve the Skogforsk research institute to collect and study data regarding the log hauler’s performance, energy consumption, carbon footprint, and comparable costs to diesel-fueled trucks in its class. One of the goals will reportedly be to create a roadmap that shows the way to a prosperous, zero-emissions timber industry.
Sources:
https://electrek.co/2022/07/07/electric-timber-truck-sweden/
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