Sustainability is key
Scania has long been synonymous with sustainability. In fact, you would battle to find a subject about which Henrik Henriksson, its global president and CEO, is more passionate. Henriksson, who is also chairman of the Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), is determined to enable a smooth transition to carbon-neutral transport.
“I strongly believe that, with increasing efforts from all stakeholders, carbon-neutral road transport by 2050 is within reach. This will require serious investments in charging and refuelling infrastructure suitable for trucks and buses, as well as a legislative framework that promotes all zero- and low-emission vehicles. And we have to start here and now in order to succeed,” he points out.
One of the ways in which operators can “green” their fleets is via the use of electric trucks. Scania has already gone a long way down this green road and five Scania electric R 450 hybrid trucks equipped with pantographs have been operating on a German highway since early July this year.
But Scania South Africa’s Fabio Souza says that it is unlikely that we will see anything similar in South Africa in the near future. “Instead, there is a lot of potential for alternative fuels here. I see gas being used in this region – long before electricity,” he notes. In the past Scania South Africa has partnered with The Greenscape Sector Development Agency in the Western Cape to assist in developing a business case for sustainable biofuels in South Africa.
The move to save fuel
Souza shares Henriksson’s passion for sustainability. “I am very proud that we’re not only working here to sell trucks and generate profits. I am proud of what I can tell my kids: that we’re focused on sustainability. I am fully aligned with this goal. It adds value; we’re not just doing the basics. I am happy to have invested 19 years of my life in Scania, which is synonymous with sustainability,” he points out.
Driving this passion, Scania has now invested in an internal tool that focuses on fuel savings. Core to the tool is a method of grading fleets, which factors in 10 variables. “We will grade a fleet anything from A to E (A is best, E is worst). As an example, we recently graded a fleet of 113 vehicles. The customer is operating at D. This creates an opportunity for us to move the customer to B or even A. We can do this by changing driver behaviour. In so doing, we could improve fuel consumption by 9,8%. This will mean savings of R740 000 a month for this particular transport operator. Very significantly, we will also avoid putting 151 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. The impact on society is massive!” he notes.
Fuel-saving future products
Scania launched its new-generation trucks last year, and Souza says that the range – elected International Truck of the Year for 2017 – is “already the best product when it comes to fuel efficiency”. “I am proud to say that we have a great product. When it comes to fuel consumption, we are unbeatable,” he points out.
But he has no intention of allowing the company to rest on its rather sustainable laurels. “There are other products that we could bring to SA to make the gap between us and the competitors even bigger. I am referring specifically to a solution for customers running 15 000 km a month. I am looking forward to starting tests of these new products – which could bring even better fuel consumption – soon,” says Souza.
The Scania MD believes that these products, customer focus and the dealer network mean that the company is well-positioned for future success. “While our products are superior, we are determined to make a difference to the customer’s performance – be it fuel consumption or uptime. Our dealer network is a huge asset. They care and they are agile when it comes to adapting to customers’ needs. If I look back at what Scania has achieved over the years, the company has invested a lot in the dealer network and local team,” he points out.
Scania South Africa – which sold 2 340 vehicles last year, representing a 14,6% market share – is currently celebrating 25 years of doing business in South Africa.
