With Scania’s planned rapid introduction of electric vehicles over the coming years, there is a concurrent need to intensify battery testing and tailored deployment.

Scania says it is therefore investing €15.5 million in a new battery laboratory at its research and development facilities in Södertälje, Sweden.

Construction of the 1,000-square metre laboratory recently began and building works will be completed by spring 2021. Following extensive testing and verification of equipment and instruments, the laboratory will be fully operational by autumn 2021.

The laboratory will contain three 250-square metre test halls for battery cells, modules and packs. Adjacent to the halls, the laboratory will also have facilities for test sample preparation to improve the working environment, safety and testing uptime.

Claes Erixon, Head of Research and Development at Scania said, “With the accelerating pace of development, the laboratory will strengthen our capacity to right-size batteries for every application. We have an ambitious roadmap ahead of us in annually launching new and updated electric products with related battery services. This underscores the need for world-class skills and knowledge in battery usage and lifecycle optimisation.”

The laboratory will primarily focus on battery performance and lifespan evaluation in varying climate conditions from -40°C to 70°C.

The new battery laboratory will complement a smaller facility with a climatic chamber for battery pack testing that began operating last year. The Scania lab can now test the performance of battery packs on operational electric trucks and buses without the batteries needing to be removed from the vehicle.

Photo: Scania’s battery lab will focus on battery performance and lifespan evaluation.