Karolin Erwe heads the performance work for battery packs
Development engineer Karolin Erwe heads the performance work for battery packs at Scania's Research and Development department in Södertälje. With a master's in chemical engineering, she knew about batteries before they were a "thing" and one of the significant drivers for Scania when transforming the transport system into a sustainable one.
She is not only a Performance Group Leader with 12 years at the company but can also write "inventor" with a patent on her CV. "The endless possibilities to develop, try and find new solutions are a factor to why I enjoy being here so much," she says. The patent came in her way quite early in her Scania career, as legal demands arose. "What we did was find a solution to an issue that meant we could use something we already had instead of adding another sensor to the system. That, of course, was both efficient and saved a lot of money."
Karolin is from Stockholm, so Scania has always been present as a possible employer. But it was merely by chance that she came across a Master Thesis here and, well, stayed. "I heard other students and friends with great things to say about Scania, so I knew what I was in for."
She started out working with catalysts and, later, the verification and testing of engines. "We need to ensure the quality is up to our standards."
Research & Development has always been an excellent fit for Karolin. When she wanted to try something else, batteries were close at hand. "It's an exciting area for sure. My team look at their qualities, lifespan, range and fast charging." She has already worked for three years in this field, and new challenges keep popping up.
To work in a fast-paced area is something she is happy to do. "Our department keeps growing. We really are influencing the development as we find new solutions and have a great speed ahead." She knows we must do our very best and have products reach the market quickly. The team spirit truly thrives when we reach our targets.
Scania always encourages employees to try new things and to be creative and innovative. That environment suits me well, where I can improve alongside my colleagues.
What Karolin ultimately strives for is to be even better when it comes to batteries, and by that contribute to the greatest electric trucks. "To find sustainable solutions and drive this shift to electrification – if I can be a part of that, it's all I could wish for."
