We all know that electric trucks are more expensive to buy than their diesel counterparts – the ticket price is between two and three times that of a standard truck.
Scania have got together with a German freight forwarding platform to offer electric trucks on a pay-per-use basis via a new joint venture company, JUNA. . By offering access to guaranteed loads on sennder’s digital platform JUNA removes the obstacles of electric truck adoption for its customers. That includes the financial challenges associated with high upfront costs, residual value, and technology risk, and provides transport companies with commercial predictability through guaranteed incomes. By combining Scania’s premium electric trucks and tailored services with sennder’s advanced technology for connecting small and medium carriers with big name shippers, JUNA is leveraging the strength of both companies to accelerate the decarbonisation of European road freight logistics.
Full Service Package
The model offers the full package, including premium electric vehicles, repair, maintenance, insurance, digital and analytics services. In addition to usage-based fees and guaranteed utilisation, through data analysis, JUNA optimises electrification strategies and simulates routes for electric truck suitability. By removing the risks associated with electric truck adoption and streamlining operations, JUNA will play a role in reducing carbon emissions and advancing the transition to low-emission transport.
Successful Pilot Project
A pilot project has just recently been successfully launched. The first customer is using an electric truck supplied by JUNA charged with renewable energy and performing up to ten lanes per week just like its diesel predecessor. The truck is operating for a well-known FMCG shipper in the region of Stuttgart. With the potential to achieve an annual reduction of 93 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions for the first truck alone, the pilot’s scope will be expanded to include long-distance routes during 2024. The project relies on existing public charging infrastructure, and with per-kilometre costs comparable to current diesel charges.
David Nothacker, CEO of sennder, says: “This is a pivotal moment for our industry, and we are excited to be partnering with Scania to create a joint venture that will propel the widespread adoption of e-trucks. Given that e-trucks cost two to three times more than diesel trucks and that 70 per cent of all trucks in Europe are owned by small carriers with fewer than 10 trucks, the combination of JUNA’s pay-per-use offering and sennder’s capacity utilisation will effectively remove the barriers to adopting e-trucks.”
Gustaf Sundell, Head of Ventures and New Business at Scania, says: “JUNA is the result of a collaboration between two companies with complementary expertise in the areas of electric vehicles and digital logistics, which will accelerate the transition to electrified heavy transports. Scania is exploring new solutions to find ways of creating value for our customers now and in the future and we are proud to see this project with sennder come to life. We believe it will play an important role in driving the shift to a sustainable transport system.
The two parties signed a joint venture agreement in May this year and have obtained necessary approval from the relevant competition authorities.