HGV manufacturer Scania and battery company Northvolt have jointly developed a new battery cell for heavy electric vehicles. The lithium-ion cell has undergone validation tests and demonstrated an outstanding lifetime, with a capacity to power trucks for 1.5 million kilometres, equivalent to the vehicle’s whole lifespan.
The cell was produced using fossil-free electricity in northern Sweden, resulting in a carbon footprint of approximately one-third of that of a comparable industry reference.
Scania and Northvolt began working together in 2017 to develop and commercialize the battery cell. Now, the battery is being produced at Northvolt Ett gigafactory in northern Sweden. Scania plans to inaugurate a new battery factory in Södertälje, Sweden later this year, where battery cells will be assembled into battery packs for the start of production of heavy-duty electric trucks.
CEO and Co-Founder of Northvolt, Peter Carlsson, commented on the new development, saying,
“To have proceeded through extensive development and validation phases, and now be delivering cells from Northvolt Ett which exceed our initial expectations in terms of performance is a tremendous accomplishment for everyone involved.” Scania’s CEO, Christian Levin, added, “Today marks a milestone on the path towards a sustainable transport system. The future of heavy transport is electric, and to enable the shift and to continue delivering on our brand promise towards customers to be premium, Scania needs top-performing battery cells for our electric trucks.”
As part of their commitment to establishing a supply of sustainable cells, Northvolt Ett is powered by 100% fossil-free electricity generated by hydropower and wind power.
Due to the fossil-free energy and integration of additional sustainable production features at Northvolt Ett, the estimated carbon footprint of the cell at full serial production is approximately one-third that of a comparative industry reference cell.