Battery factory opened to meet 50% electric target

In fact, they are targeting 50% of their vehicle sales to be battery-powered by 2030. TheDriven reported back in 2022 on Scania’s push into electrification and their new electric models coming out in Europe. With that expansion into battery electric also comes the need to expand and build facilities to enable that growth.

To that end, Scania have just opened a new battery factory in Södertälje (Sweden). The factory will take battery cells produced jointly by Scania and Northvolt in northern Sweden and assemble them into modules and then into battery packs, to be transferred to the assembly line which is located within the same production precinct.

“The shift to electrified solutions is the biggest transformation in the history of transport, and 2023 is the year when it truly takes off,” Christian Levin, President and CEO Scania and Traton Group is quoted as saying.

The installed capacity at the factory allows it to handle one battery cell every second, while a battery pack is produced every four minutes. The module line is fully automated with 38 robots doing the work. The pack line is around 50 percent automated, with 34 robots and employees working together. The assembled packs form battery systems tailored for Scania’s modular vehicle manufacturing. At full capacity, the factory will a total of 550 staff.

The assembly plant will work around the clock to supply the chassis production line with the batteries it needs. A typical truck could contain up to 1,000 battery cells formed into modules and packs, which can weigh up to 1200 kg. The battery packs are expected to power the truck they are installed in for around 1.5 million km, which is Scania’s expected lifetime for an ‘average’ truck.

Source: The Driven