In a move to create a greener transportation solution in southern and western Sweden, brewing company Carlsberg Sweden has joined forces with freight mobility specialist Einride to invest in electric trucks.
Building on its ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions across its operations, Carlsberg Sverige is taking local actions to align with Carlsberg Group’s goal of a zero carbon footprint.
This innovative project aims to electrify all beverage transportation routes between Carlsberg Sverige’s Falkenberg brewery, the Ramlösa water factory and key transshipment points in Gothenburg, Malmö and Helsingborg.
The electrification plan also covers transportation from packaging company Ball in Malmö to Falkenberg and Ramlösa, as well as transport between Ramlösa and Falkenberg. Direct distribution from Falkenberg to wholesale customers in Halmstad will also go electric.
“We started our collaboration with Einride in the fall of 2022 when we electrified the heavy warehouse transportation in Halland. In the spring of 2023, we expanded the collaboration by adding another electric truck that runs daily between Falkenberg and Ramlösa,” said Peter Hammarstedt, CEO of Carlsberg Sverige.
“Now we are taking the next step by making a big investment in a sustainable transport solution for the southern and western parts of Sweden, which will significantly contribute to a reduction of our carbon footprint and push our progress towards a net ZERO value chain.”
The transportation network will consist of eight crews, each comprising electric trucks with trailers providing space for 51 pallets per crew. Einride will set up charging stations at strategic locations, including the Falkenberg Brewery and Ramlösa water factory, enabling trucks to charge during loading and unloading.
The first batch of electric trucks is expected to hit the roads in autumn 2024. Using a mobility platform, Einride Saga, the electric truck fleet will be efficiently managed, planned, optimized and monitored.
In five years, this expanded partnership aims to electrify about 7.65 million kilometers of transportation, resulting in a reduction of nearly 12,300 tons of CO2 compared to diesel trucks. This reduction is equivalent to removing 428 diesel cars driving 200 kilometers daily for a year from the roads.
“At Einride, we strive for collaborations with forward-thinking companies to actively reduce global carbon emissions,” Carl Ceder, VP Nordics at Einride said, underlining the importance of the partnership.
“It is a pleasure to work with customers like Carlsberg Sverige and assist them on their journey towards sustainable freight, proving together that the time has come for a large-scale transformation of heavy transportation, even over longer distances.”
Since transitioning to electric transportation with Einride, Carlsberg Sverige has successfully cut transport emissions by up to 95 percent compared to its previous diesel-fueled routes, according to Einride.
Expanding Sweden’s Fast Charging Network
Addressing the need for enhanced electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Swedish roads, the Swedish Transport Administration is working to facilitate and co-finance investments in new charging stations.
In its latest move, the administration has pinpointed 37 road segments where the installation of additional fast chargers is vital. Of the proposed locations, 17 have secured approval for support. Most of these places are in the northern part of Sweden.
The stipulation demands that these new charging stations be operational by the coming year at the latest.
In recent times, the proliferation of public charging points has gained momentum throughout the country. However, despite this advancement, certain stretches along major roadways remain devoid of efficient charging options.
Hanna Eklöf, the head of climate research at the Swedish Transport Administration, underlined the significance of a widespread network of fast charging stations in enabling broader adoption of electric vehicles nationwide.
Among the approved sites for new charging stations are Abisko, Nikkaloukta, Tärendö, Aspnäs, Vännäs, Vindeln, Bjurholm, Risträsk and several others.
In the previous round, the Swedish Transport Administration provided backing for additional charging stations. Among the 85 stations that were approved, 51 are now up and running. Eklöf assures that the administration is dedicated to expanding the network even further.
“All are built along major roads in sparsely populated areas and where fast charging is lacking, mainly in Norrland’s interior,” she said. “During 2023 and 2024, another 32 charging stations will come into operation.”
Besides needing to follow a set timeline, the Swedish Transport Administration has set strict rules for how the stations should work. This means having at least two charging points that can do 22 kW using AC and two points that can do 150 kW using DC.
The stations also need to support load balancing. Plus, the initial wiring should handle up to 350 kW capacity.
Full-Scale EV Charging Integration at Stockholm
In Stockholm, Stockholm Parkering is also making strides in providing enhanced convenience for EV owners. One significant development is the completion of charging installations across all parking spaces in Arenagaraget, located beneath the iconic Tele2 Arena in Stockholm.
This initiative has transformed all 786 parking spots into EV charging spaces, corresponding to the same number of charging points.
Christian Rockberger, CEO of Stockholm Parkering, highlights the convenience this upgrade brings to electric vehicle owners while also catering to all visitors, irrespective of their vehicle’s power source.
Rockberger said that this move aligns with Stockholm Parkering’s strategy to optimize parking spaces for maximum utility. He further elaborates that this achievement marks the thirteenth facility within their portfolio, where every parking spot is outfitted with charging capabilities.
Currently, Stockholm Parkering boasts 5,300 parking spaces with charging infrastructure, of which 3,700 are available to the general public. The organization aims to elevate the charging capacity significantly by 2023 to 2024, offering 7,300 charging points, with 4,500 accessible to the public.
“We want to make it easier for the people of Stockholm to switch from a fossil car to an electric car,” said Lars Strömgren, chairman of Stockholm Parkering and traffic citizens’ council in Stockholm.
“Therefore, all parking spaces in Stockholm Parkering’s garage must have the possibility of charging by 2026 at the latest.”
Northvolt Expands to EV Battery Recycling
In another development, Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt’s activities now go beyond battery production, extending recycling batteries. Under its Revolt program, Northvolt aims to recycle used electric vehicle batteries to create new ones.
Recently, Northvolt launched a large recycling facility in Hamburg covering 12,000 square meters. This facility, operated in partnership with EMR, a company specializing in metal recycling, has the capacity to recycle 10,000 tons of battery packs each year. The process includes battery pack disassembly and discharge, with Northvolt contributing expertise to these operations.
Emma Nehrenheim, Northvolt’s head of environment, stressed the importance of efficient battery recycling in ensuring a sustainable electric vehicle revolution.
“The ability to effectively recycle batteries is crucial to making the electric car revolution as sustainable as possible,” she said. “With the facility in Hamburg, we are ready to recycle large volumes of European batteries and make further progress in our quest to create a circular battery industry.”
In this recycling process, materials like copper and aluminum are recovered and reused in new batteries. Valuable elements such as lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt are also extracted from the remaining battery packs through a crushing process. This final extraction phase is planned to take place at the upcoming Revolt Ett facility.
Although the company is planning to start battery manufacturing in a new German facility, Northvolt has chosen to prioritize recycling first. It has also announced its plan to establish new factories in Europe and North America and secured financial backing of $1.2 billion (over 13 billion kroner) through a round of convertible loans — a financial instrument that can later be converted into shares.
While there’s been speculation about Northvolt’s plans to establish a North American factory in Quebec, Canada, the exact location hasn’t been confirmed yet. Reportedly, the company is presently exploring multiple potential sites.