SKF, Scania, and LOTS Group have launched a partnership with the goal of promoting sustainable logistics by establishing one of Europe’s longest routes for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The route in question runs between Södertälje and Gothenburg and covers a total of 221,000 km per year, making it one of the longest BEV routes in Europe.
The transport route runs between Södertälje, Katrineholm, and Gothenburg, and then back to Södertälje, with SKF’s freight traveling in one direction and Scania’s freight in the other in a 951-kilometer round-trip flow. The new route is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 97 percent while optimizing the transport flow. The route is estimated to save 298 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents annually, which is equivalent to the annual CO₂ emissions from 210 passenger cars in Sweden.
– This partnership is an important step forward in the transition to sustainable logistics. By promoting collaboration between cargo owners, carriers, and companies that provide charging infrastructure, we reduce emissions while maximizing utilization, which is the key to economically sustainable transportation. “Our goal is for this to become a benchmark for similar logistics solutions in Europe,” says Johan Palmqvist, Managing Director Europe at LOTS Group.
“This partnership helps ensure energy-efficient and climate-smart transportation for our customers, which supports our goal of achieving net-zero emissions in our value chain,” says Måns Isacsson, Head of Logistics at SKF Sweden.
Many companies are currently facing the challenge of balancing sustainability and cost, and through its LOTS initiative, Scania is fostering logistics partnerships that accelerate the transition to more sustainable transportation. The current transport flow is an example of how even heavier transport flows can be electrified at a cost that is attractive to transport buyers. The LOTS Group’s model for achieving this is to expand the system boundaries beyond the transport itself, identify opportunities for increased efficiency in the broader logistics system, and use digital tools to optimize costs, lead times, and sustainability.
The rollout of electric vehicles will take place in phases, with the goal of operating at full scale later in 2025.
LOTS Group is a subsidiary of Scania that brings together freight forwarders to optimize logistics services. Scania’s control tower coordinates transport flows, while LOTS Group handles route optimization and load management using digital tools to maximize resource efficiency. Together, they are developing electrified transportation and providing sustainable, efficient solutions for greener and more cost-effective logistics.
