Training for Scania's Electric Truck Drivers

Germany's first Scania electric truck is part of the Bona Deutschland fleet based in Limburg and Lahn in Hesse. The drivers spent the morning learning the ins and outs of the Scania 25 P to ensure a seamless transition to the new drive technology. Scania Germany and sales consultant Matthias Metzen worked closely together to create a comprehensive training schedule at the Koblenz headquarters of Scania. Ronja Scheliga, who is the Junior Manager of Supply Chain at Bona, Thorsten Kusch, who is the company's Director of Supply Chain, and Christian Hilb, who is in charge of the fleet, all took advantage of the training and the smooth way it was put into place afterward.

It was the quickest car purchase Thorsten Kusch had ever made. The decision was obviously made with sustainability in mind. He explains that before the rise in energy prices, the total cost of ownership calculations did not reflect the full value of an electric truck. The numbers would be much more in favor of the electric drive now.

Once the 26-ton truck gets going, its pleasant noise becomes immediately apparent to everyone there. The tires are making a rolling noise, and there is a faint whirring noise. According to Matthias Metzen, the e-whirring truck is just one more way to alert other drivers to its presence.

Meanwhile, Enrico Wachsmann and Gunther Heinritz continue their truck driver training. Each has ten years of experience in their field and is excited to contribute to this breakthrough in automotive technology. However, this is a first for trucks, although both have privately driven cars with electric or hybrid drives. The first truck driver got behind the wheel after being briefed on the vehicle's 165 kWh charging system, drivetrain, and safety features like a reversing camera, turning, emergency brake, and lane departure warning assistant. The route they followed was roughly 20 kilometers around Scania's headquarters in Koblenz.

Drivers can gain insight into the capabilities of the electric motor, which has a range of up to 130 kilometers, and share their trucking expertise during the trip's wide range of terrain. Uphill driving requires almost instantaneous acceleration, followed by the recovery of lost energy. The Scania instructor says to his "student drivers," "Now what matters is the experience of getting the best out of recuperation," to get them to share their driving knowledge. Leaving the industrial area, driving briefly on the autobahn, switching to a country road, and finally passing through the outskirts of Koblenz, I crossed 30 zones. There were a lot of chances to evaluate the Scania 25 P's handling. Therefore, it's not surprising that both drivers want to keep going.