How your own data can kick-start your electrification journey

Are you a haulier and don’t know how to start your electrification journey? Use a data-driven approach and let your own data be your guide.

Modern trucks have literally become computers on wheels. The Scania truck of today contains some 25 to 50 electronic control units as well as numerous sensors, and it records everything from location and speed to fuel efficiency and braking.

The precision of the equipment and the number of connected trucks has exploded, and the data they transmit has become a gold mine. Today, operational data already helps many haulier companies run their fleets more efficiently, optimising routes, cutting costs and increasing safety.

Big data the perfect starting point

This big data – the operational data collected – is the perfect starting point for hauliers planning to take the first step towards electrifying their fleets.

“Connected data from our customers’ existing combustion engine trucks allows us to create a detailed image of how things are working for them in their daily business,” says Isaac Campero Del Angel, an e-solutions engineer within Scania.

With permission from a customer, Scania can collect the haulier company’s data and use it to analyse a route’s topography, a driver’s speed and behaviour, where the driver stops, the payload and several other variables.

Data to tailor the optimal electrification solution

“Often, they are positively surprised by what can be done with their data,” says Campero Del Angel. “Of course, GPS tracking is nothing new, but combined with operational variables, it enables them to reach an entirely different level of insight.”

Scania has developed in-house analysis tools that accurately project the electric range per transport type, optimal charging locations and which routes to electrify and in which order.

With the help of these tools, Scania’s solution experts can tailor an optimal electrification solution for each customer, including trucks with the correct specifications as well as smooth solutions for charging infrastructure, charging services, maintenance and financing.

Concrete scenarios for electrification

Describing a concrete scenario, Campero Del Angel outlines the operations of a refuse collector company responsible for waste management in a major city. This is an area where electric trucks have become increasingly in focus, as municipalities globally are more and more interested in future-proof solutions that can comply with zero-emission regulations.

“In this example, with our tools we can observe that the daily driven distance for their operation is below 100 kilometres, with low speeds of around 30 kilometres per hour and a high amount of start and stop,” he says. “Considering these and other variables and knowing that the operator goes back to the depot at the end of the day, we would then suggest an electric truck with a smaller battery capacity and the proportional requirements for overnight charging at the depot.”

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