Scania CV AB and sennder Technologies GmbH, a digital road freight forwarder, have jointly established JUNA, a new company dedicated to advancing electric solutions in road freight logistics across Europe. Recently launched in Germany, the joint venture aims to promote the adoption of electric trucks to facilitate the transition to a sustainable logistics industry, aligning with the ACEA/PIC joint statement advocating for all new commercial vehicles to be fossil-free by 2040.
Based in Berlin, JUNA introduces an innovative pay-per-use model for electric trucks, addressing the challenge of their higher upfront costs compared to diesel equivalents. Through access to guaranteed loads on sennder’s digital platform, JUNA overcomes financial barriers, including upfront costs, residual value concerns, and technology risks. The venture provides transport companies with commercial predictability and guaranteed incomes by combining Scania’s premium electric trucks and tailored services with sennder’s advanced technology linking small and medium carriers with major shippers.
JUNA’s comprehensive package includes premium electric vehicles, repair, maintenance, insurance, digital, and analytics services. Alongside usage-based fees and guaranteed utilization, JUNA utilizes data analysis to optimize electrification strategies and simulate routes for electric truck suitability, streamlining operations and reducing risks associated with electric truck adoption.
A successful pilot project has recently been launched, with the first customer using an electric truck supplied by JUNA, charged with renewable energy and performing similarly to its diesel predecessor, covering up to ten lanes per week. The truck operates for a well-known FMCG shipper in the Stuttgart region, potentially achieving an annual reduction of 93 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions. The pilot’s scope is set to expand to include long-distance routes in 2024, utilizing existing public charging infrastructure with per-kilometer costs comparable to current diesel charges.
David Nothacker, CEO of sennder, says: “This is a pivotal moment for our industry, and we are excited to be partnering with Scania to create a joint venture that will propel the widespread adoption of e-trucks. Given that e-trucks cost two to three times more than diesel trucks and that 70 per cent of all trucks in Europe are owned by small carriers with fewer than 10 trucks, the combination of JUNA’s pay-per-use offering and sennder’s capacity utilisation will effectively remove the barriers to adopting e-trucks.”
Gustaf Sundell, Head of Ventures and New Business at Scania, says: “JUNA is the result of a collaboration between two companies with complementary expertise in the areas of electric vehicles and digital logistics, which will accelerate the transition to electrified heavy transports. Scania is exploring new solutions to find ways of creating value for our customers now and in the future and we are proud to see this project with sennder come to life. We believe it will play an important role in driving the shift to a sustainable transport system.”
