Scania in Europe that it has launched a real-world pilot to test range-extended hybrid technology in heavy-duty timber transport.
Scania says it has developed the truck in collaboration with Renault-Geely joint venture company, Horse Powertrain, that specialises in powertrains.
Scania and Horse Powertrain have launched the truck, which is currently being operated in northern Sweden by SCA.
Scania says the truck combines its electric drivetrain with a high-efficiency generator designed in Sweden by Horse Powertrain’s Aurobay Technologies.division
The companies said the collaboration is exploring a pragmatic path to decarbonise demanding long-haul applications where charging infrastructure may still limited.
The company says the truck was built to handle Sweden’s most demanding timber routes, transporting heavy loads through steep and remote terrain where access to charging infrastructure remains scarce.
The company says the truck achieves both long-distance capability and reduced CO2 emissions, by combining a powerful battery-electric drivetrain with the Aurobay Technologies generator.
Scania revealed that the test route covers approximately 16 km, with an operational target of completing seven to eight rounds per day which it says is comparable to a diesel truck, while delivering slightly higher productivity than a pure battery-electric truck, by avoiding charging downtime.
It said that the configuration supports the truck’s battery packs with a 120-kW range-extender unit based on Horse Powertrain’s two- litre high-efficiency multi-fuel engine.
Acting purely as an onboard charger, the range extender unit supplies electric energy when required such as during long hauls, in temperature extremes, or through unexpected delays.
CEO of Horse Powertrain, Matias Giannini, said: that forestry logistics represent one of the toughest challenges for electrification.
“The forest roads of northern Sweden demand strength, range and reliability, charging stations are few and far between, but the timber never waits,” Giannini said.
“You can think of our range-extender as a powerbank for a heavy-duty truck: silent, efficient, and always there when you need it,” he added.
“By partnering with Scania and drawing on our engineering excellence, we’re proving how a compact, high-efficiency range-extender enables electric trucks to operate reliably in the most demanding environments and it’s a technology that cuts CO₂ now,” he said.
Vice President of Scania’s Pilot Partner, Tony Sandberg said that what the company is doing in Sweden with Horse Powertrain and SCA builds directly on the 100-day trial it ran together with a logistics partner in Germany earlier this year.
“That vehicle logged almost 22,000 kilometres and drove more than 90 per cent of the time on pure electric power, only using the range-extender when no charging was available,” Sandberg said.
“The result was a CO₂ reduction of over 90 per cent compared with a diesel truck and those learnings give us a strong foundation as we tailor the system for demanding Nordic timber operations,” he said
Horse Powertrain’s chief technology officer and managing director for Sweden, Ingo Scholten said that electrifying heavy-duty routes means understanding what drivers and operators face hour by hour.
“Long stretches without charging, variable loads and rapidly changing weather means this pilot lets us study those realities directly in day-to-day timber operations,” Scholten said.
The range-extender’s role is simple, it rovide a stable, efficient energy supply so drivers can complete their full shift without interruption and with far lower greenhouse-gas emissions than a traditional diesel truck,” he added.
“The data we gather here will guide how we refine the technology and scale it for wider use across demanding transport applications,” Scholten continued.
Horse Powertrain’s modular range-extender architecture builds on the same core technology used in its passenger-car and light-commercial hybrid systems, which it has adapted for the higher power output and durability demands of heavy-duty applications.
Unlike conventional fixed-speed generator sets, the engine can operate across its full power band, allowing the system to deliver the required output efficiently while keeping fuel consumption, noise and vibration low.
The company’s pilot truck is now undergoing testing in regular operations, carrying full timber loads to gather performance and efficiency data in real-world conditions. The results will guide future deployments of electrified powertrains in the forestry sector and other heavy-duty application
