Scania lands 105-electric-truck order from Wibax
Wibax, which transports bio-oils and liquid chemicals across Sweden and Finland, considers battery-electric trucks the most suitable long-term solution for a large share of its operations. The company runs a fleet serving industrial customers and has identified heavy-duty routes with relatively short, repetitive journeys as particularly suitable for electrification.The order builds on a long-standing partnership between the two companies. In 2022, Scania announced pilot projects with three Swedish customers involving battery-electric truck combinations exceeding 60 tonnes in gross vehicle weight. Wibax was among the participating companies. At the time, the Traton-owned manufacturer described the vehicles as bespoke solutions developed “in close cooperation with various partners and through extensive analysis”.As part of the project, Wibax operated a three-axle Scania tractor-trailer combination on an 80-kilometre route between Piteå and Skellefteå in northern Sweden. Scania told electrive at the time that the vehicle weighed 10.8 tonnes, around 1.5 tonnes more than a comparable diesel truck. The additional weight stemmed in part from the nine battery packs on board, which provided around 300 kWh of energy capacity. Project partner Skellefteå Kraft supplied a 150 kW charger for the vehicle.Scania disclosed only limited technical details about the pilot vehicle in 2022. The manufacturer has taken a similar approach with the latest order and has not released any further technical specifications.What is known is that the addition of 105 battery-electric trucks will make Wibax one of the largest operators of electric heavy-duty vehicles in the Nordic region. Beyond the vehicle order, the agreement covers a range of services intended to support the company’s transition to electric transport, including charging solutions, solar energy generation and new business models designed to reduce total operating costs. According to Scania, the package is designed to help Wibax scale up its electric fleet while maintaining operational efficiency and reliability.“We need to work with a supplier with whom we can work with strategically and for the long-term, and that’s Scania,” said Jonas Wiklund, CEO of Wibax Group. “We want to electrify our fleet quickly, and with Scania we can ensure that we introduce the new technology as quickly as possible to be able to achieve electrification in the timeline we have set out.”Wiklund added that Scania’s commitment to electrifying both heavy- and light-duty vehicle segments was a key factor in the decision. “We believe that in the long-term electrification will be more effective for the heavy, relatively short and repetitive transports that are the core part of our logistics,” he said.“We are delighted to sign this landmark agreement with Wibax, who share Scania’s goals of decarbonising transport in combination with enhanced operational efficiency. We see this as proof of Wibax’s confidence in Scania as a trusted partner for the scaling up of its eMobility operations,” added Tobias Ejderhamn, Head of Global Sales, e-truck solutions at Scania. “For Scania, such a large deal underlines our profound belief that battery-electric vehicles represent a strategic opportunity for our customers, especially with regards to future-proofing fleets to meet developing emissions standards.”scania.com, wibax.com
