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The flexible electrified truck has entered Oslo

1 JUNE 2022

Along the streets of the Norwegian capital, you may see a blue electric truck on its way to a construction site. It is quiet, and it is fossil-free. This is Becker Entreprenør AS’s brand-new electric combined tipper truck and crane.

For Becker Entreprenør AS, putting the electric Scania truck to operation was an easy decision. “We have great ambitions. We want to change the construction industry as we know it,” says Hans Erik Becker, who’s company aims to minimize emissions while maintaining a profitable and credible business. The company was founded in 2001 by Hans Erik, and they take on all kinds of construction work. Becker has always had a natural tendency to gear toward environmentally friendly solutions. This puts the company in an advantageous position when it comes to tenders now that the City of Oslo is stiffening environmental regulations to limit the impact of the construction and building industry on the climate.

Never saw electric coming

The truck itself allows for flexibility. It is a standard tipper truck equipped with a hook lift, which can also be fitted to a crane. “This means we can do more with this truck, and not change between several vehicles since this is all-in-one.”

Driver Bjørn Erik Liern, with more than two decades behind the wheel, was sceptic at first, to say the least. “I thought I’d never ever be driving an electric truck, because I though it simply wouldn’t be a solution that could work. Then again, I’m curios and fascinated by innovation. So when the opportunity came, I gave it a shot,” he says. And he wasn’t disappointed. “It’s a completely new working day compared to before, when it was all about going fast and have a heavy load.“ Today, he experiences something different. “I adapt how I drive, to optimise the use of the electric truck. I am calmer, and not as stressed as I used to be. This all adds up to a more fun working day.”

Easy charging

On the job, Bjørn Erik transports material to different construction sites in and around Oslo. The driving is also done on-site to a large extent. This means the truck only needs to be charged once a day. “Sometimes I’ll charge at the sites, but I can also combine charging with my lunch break somewhere else.” One time when he had parked his car and began to charge it outside a petrol station, he was approached by a man, visibly disturbed by where the truck was placed. “He said I needed to move it, and park someplace else. I said that I will do that, once I’m done charging. Then I pointed at my door, where it says ‘electric’. He went really quiet.”

Something else that enlightens his day is the driver coach. “I currently have a score of 83% on my driving, but of course I aim for 100%,” Bjørn Erik says. “I am born and raised with Scania, and this truck gives me joy to keep on driving for many years to come. This is the future.”