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Sweden to Turkey: top insights from a 4,500 km BEV road trip

They call themselves Queen of the Road. Together, these five Scania e-Mobility specialists took a battery electric tractor all the way from Sweden to Turkey, covering almost 4,500 km. Why? “We did it for our customers,” says Louise Törnsten, Product Manager.

At the end of August, five female e-Mobility specialists from Scania embarked on an adventurous journey from Södertälje, Sweden, with a 38-tonne BEV tractor and semi-trailer. Their Queen of the Road team set out for Istanbul, the vibrant metropolis where East meets West, in Turkey.

Two of the team members were Louise Törnsten, Product Manager at Scania e-Mobility, and her colleague Kristine Stålhandske, Business Development Manager.

What motivated you to take on such a long journey?

Kristine: “To gain a deeper understanding of our customers’ needs. We meet a lot of customers in our profession, but we wanted to experience firsthand what it’s really like on the road with a BEV. On this trip, we explored routes less traveled by electric trucks. In a way, we’re taking on the challenges so our customers don’t have to.”

Louise: “Another reason is that we did a similar trip in April, from Sweden to Italy. That journey gave us valuable insights into the state of electrification in Western Europe. This time, we wanted to learn more about the situation in Eastern Europe.”

What was your most positive surprise?

Kristine: “I was pleasantly surprised to see so many road construction projects underway in countries like Bulgaria and Romania, where they are also building charging infrastructure for trucks. That’s very encouraging.”

Louise: “The positive interest we received from other drivers and people we met along the road was really uplifting. Plus, the attention and comments on social media, where we posted regular updates, were great. I think people appreciated our honest and straightforward approach.”

What was the most difficult to deal with?

Louise: “It’s still a challenge driving into a new country without enough information about the charging points. You might know where they are located, thanks to services like Chargefinder, but often there’s no information on whether we can access the charger with a truck.”

Kristine: “I agree, and another big challenge is the fragmented landscape of Charging Point Operators (CPOs) and their different billing systems and apps.”

Louise: “Another difficulty was the traffic jams that lasted for hours in the summer heat. Luckily, our BEV handled it without any issues. We had to run the AC, fridge, and entertainment system at full blast, but the truck still consumed very little energy. I have so much respect for drivers who deal with long queues like that on a regular basis.”

How did the Scania BEV perform?

Kristine: “The truck performed excellently; it was the charging that posed the challenge. On average, over the entire trip, we achieved 1.15 kWh/km, which matches exactly the energy consumption that Scania specifies for this route.”

Louise: “If it weren’t for the charging challenges, we could have completed trip much faster; the truck’s performance was excellent throughout. It’s also incredible how much energy you can regenerate in hilly areas. We were able to drive for an hour and a half without consuming any energy at all.”

What would make your next trip easier?

Kristine: “Having updated, clear, and easy-to-access information on charging points, including details on charging speed and whether they are suitable for trucks, would be a huge step forward. It would make planning so much easier.”

Louise: “I wish we had managed to introduce Scania Charging Access in these markets. That would solve many of the challenges we faced this time, like up-to-date information on truck-friendly charging points and the convenience of accessing all stations in the network with just one card, instead of juggling multiple cards and apps.”

Truck and journey

The journey

Total distance: 4,439 km
Total driving time: 108 h
Average energy consumption: 1.15 kWh/km

The truck

Scania 40R 4x2 tractor with semi-trailer
Electric machine with six gears and 400 kW continuous power (536 hp)
Battery capacity: 624 kWh with 75% SoC window*
Charging capacity: 375 kW
Gross Train Weight: 38 tonnes

*) SoC Window (State of Charge Window) refers to how much of the total installed capacity is used in practice. A lower percentage means less stress on the battery, and a longer lifespan.

The state of charging along the route*

Sweden: “From Södertälje to the ferry in Karlskrona, we could rely entirely on truck-friendly charging stations. It’s a sign that things are really starting to move in Sweden.”
Poland: “Lots of charging stations for private cars along our route, but only two suited for trucks. Fairly decent access to fast charging (max 350 kW).”
Czech Republic: “Charging went smoothly overall, though we had to use stations meant for private cars. Billing was tricky – at one point we had to pay per minute for a slow charger.”
Slovakia: “Pretty much the same as in the Czech Republic, though the coverage seemed a bit better thanks to the presence of some of the larger Charging Point Operators (CPOs).”
Romania: According to the IEA, Romania aims to deploy 600,000 charging stations, 40,000 of which will be fast or semi-fast. “Romania is clearly expanding its charging network along major highways. We also spotted several truck-friendly charging stations under construction.”
Bulgaria: The IEA reports that Bulgaria plans to build 10,000 charging stations to support at least 30,000 EVs by 2026. “Bulgaria was similar to Romania when it comes to charging. Interestingly, both countries seem to be focusing on including truck-friendly charging right from the start.”
Turkey: The IEA states that Turkey aims for 30% Zero Emission Vehicles by 2030 and 100% by 2040. “At the moment, charging infrastructure is mostly around Istanbul. But there’s definitely a strong interest in electrification across Turkey.”