Scania puts a solar powered truck to the test on public roads
Last month, Scania UK introduced a solar-powered truck for real-world testing. Mark Bridgland has been appointed as the new UK Sales Director, bringing with him a decade of experience in senior roles at Group 1 Automotive, including as Managing Director. He takes over from Vincente Connolly, who now assumes the role of Managing Director for Scania East Africa.
Based in Södertälje, Sweden, this initiative is a two-year collaborative research effort between Scania, Uppsala University, Eksjö Maskin & Truck, Midsummer, Ernsts Express, and Dalakraft. The groundbreaking project involves a 560hp plug-in hybrid truck coupled with an 18m trailer equipped with state-of-the-art lightweight tandem solar panels. Haulage company Ernsts Express AB will put the truck through its paces on public roads.
Stas Krupenia, Head of the Research Office at Scania AB, remarked, ‘Solar panels have never been employed to power a truck before. This renewable energy source holds the potential to significantly reduce emissions in the transportation sector. We’re excited to be pioneers in shaping the next generation of trucks.’
Lars Evertsson, CEO at Ernsts Express, emphasized the industry-wide challenges, particularly regarding fuel costs, stating, ‘Electrification through renewable electricity is the future.’
The trailer boasts over 100 square meters of surface area covered with cutting-edge, lightweight, and flexible solar panels. These incorporate Midsummer’s innovative perovskite solar cells, doubling energy generation compared to traditional cells. They achieve a maximum efficiency of 13.2 kWp, which translates to replenishing 300kWh of batteries on the vehicle—100kWh on the truck and 200kWh in the trailer.
Erik Olsson, Head of Corporate Development at Midsummer, underscored the applicability of their solar panels in sustainable commercial vehicles, asserting, ‘Electricity generated by solar panels will save fuel and reduce carbon emissions.’
The project received partial funding from Vinnova, the Swedish government’s innovation agency, to develop low-impact climate trucks utilizing solar energy. Its focus is on assessing the energy yield and overall reduction in carbon emissions.
The solar energy harvested extends the hybrid truck’s annual driving range to up to 5,000km in Sweden. In sunnier locales like Spain, the vehicle could potentially double its range.
Erik Johansson, Project Manager and Professor of Physical Chemistry at Uppsala University, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between academia and industry to mitigate the climate impact of transportation, emphasizing the importance of efficient and lightweight solar cells.
The project also delves into how trucks can interact with the power grid and envisions new models for integrating multiple trucks like this into the grid.
Sverker Ericsson, Electrical Trade Engineer at Dalakraf, expressed disappointment about not being able to purchase the truck’s surplus energy currently, but hailed the incorporation of solar cells into the truck’s energy supply as fantastic.
Daniel Sandh, CEO of Eksjö Maskin & Truck, pointed out that fuel costs are on the rise for haulage companies, making any contribution to lowering this expense beneficial for society in the long run.
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