Scania sets up huge solar charging depot for electric trucks in Sweden
Scania is working with the Swedish company Falkenklev Logistik on “Sweden’s largest charge park” for electric trucks. It is the first time Scania delivers vehicles and delves deeper into the surrounding charging infrastructure and ecosystem.
To start with, the deal sees Scania not only delivering five battery-electric trucks but also 1.6 MW charging equipment to the haulier’s new company depot in Malmö, southern Sweden. Falkenklev Logistik expects Scania to install 22 electric charging stations for the new trucks. However, Scania says it could potentially expand the site to charge up to 40 vehicles simultaneously and that it will become Sweden’s largest truck charging station when it opens later this year.
It is also a showcase involving several companies. For the charging equipment, Scania has involved Finnish manufacturer Kempower. The system utilises smart technology that distributes energy based on the number of vehicles charging simultaneously. Output per vehicle is limited to 250 kW but could be upgraded to 320 kW per vehicle in future. Scania adds, “consideration has been given to making the site future-proof to allow charging of coming generations of battery-electric vehicles with bigger batteries and longer range.”
Energy distribution will also be helped by extra energy on-site. Falkenklev has commissioned the solar energy company Soltech Energy Solutions to build a 1.5-hectare solar park along with a 2 MW battery energy storage system at the depot to create a state-of-the-art energy hub.
Falkenklev Logistik’s CEO Victor Falkenklev said, “The charging stations and solar park are an idea I have had for a couple of years. With the need to become more sustainable and the way diesel prices are increasing, it was quite obvious to me that we had to do something, and we are committed to electrifying our fleet. The electricity is being generated by solar power, which makes it 100% renewable. It’s a really proud moment for us.”
Fredrik Allard, Head of E-mobility, Scania, added this initiative was “a perfect example of how new ecosystems and user models are being created to come up with the electric solutions that we urgently need to decarbonise the transport system, to make it sustainable for the long-term.”
The logistics company decided to keep the site open for the public to charge, that is, other truck companies. The site will be able to support “en-route charging of long-haul electric trucks,” reads the statement. Given the relatively small fleet size with Falkenklev so far only buying five electric trucks, it is not too surprising. However, the company intends to electrify its entire fleet in the medium term.
Scania did not detail the specification for the incoming electric trucks but said it worked with SKAB for the vehicle bodies. Scania has, however offered a battery-electric trucks series since 2020 that reportedly allow for various cabs, configurations and modular battery set-ups.
The installation was financed in part by the climate fund of Swedish environmental protection agency Naturvårdsverket, which will cover half the cost of the SEK 18 million project, about 1.7 million euros. Falkenklev is paying for the remaining costs.
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