Electric truck to transport grocery products in Espoo
Transportation is an essential part of a well-functioning city, but at the same time trucks and vans account for about one third of the traffic-related carbon dioxide emissions in Espoo.
The City of Espoo wants to promote possibilities of electric truck traffic and is thus launching a pilot in cooperation with Volvo Finland, Neste, Ramboll, and MK Trans & Logistics Oy. The aim of the pilot is to demonstrate that an electric distribution vehicle is well suited for the transport of grocery goods in Espoo.
In October, an electric truck will operate six days a week on a distribution route spanning approximately 100 kilometres in Espoo. The route is typical of the city’s distribution traffic and delivers goods between grocery stores and schools in the areas of Northern Tapiola, Niittykumpu, Westend, Haukilahti, and Matinkylä.
“Truck and van transport account for a large share of the city’s carbon dioxide emissions, which is why it is important to highlight electronic solutions for truck traffic,” says Kai Mykkänen, Mayor of Espoo.
“It is fantastic that we now have the opportunity, together with the City of Espoo and other partners, to promote the electrification of truck traffic. Volvo electric trucks are now immediately available to provide more sustainable transport solutions,” says Magnus Björklund, Managing Director of Volvo Finland Ab.
At Neste Espoo Muurala service station, the wide parking spaces and high charging power make it well suited for trucks. The total charging capacity is 600 kW, with up to 400 kW per connector, describes Risto Karppinen, Head of Sustainable Growth, Marketing & Services at Neste. The charging can be paid with the Neste Business Card, and the driver can take a break during the charging session.
Transport company MK Trans & Logistics Oy is also enthusiastic about the pilot. “As a transport company, we follow the development of vehicle technology with great interest, and it is exciting to have the opportunity to test an electric truck in practice,” says Margus Kõllamägi, Chair of the Board at MK Trans & Logistics Oy.
The truck used in the pilot will be charged partly at the depot and partly at the Neste Muurala service station.
“The electrification of transport is a joint effort by many actors, and this type of innovative pilots provide important user experiences. We are coordinating the smooth progress of the pilot to ensure that it generates information that Espoo and other cities can use to accelerate the electrification of transports,” says Sakari Lindholm, Director of Smart Mobility at Ramboll.
“This pilot is one example of how we want to solve the city’s challenges together with companies,” says Mari Päätalo, Project Manager of the Innovation Challenge Engine for Cities project in the City of Espoo.
The pilot is part of the Innovation Challenge Engine for Cities project, which develops solutions for challenges related to sustainable urban development in cooperation with companies, research and development actors, and higher education institutions. The project is co-implemented with the City of Vantaa.
Contacts:
The partners involved in the electric truck pilot will gather at Neste Muurala service station (Nimismiehenpelto 1) to get acquainted with the electric truck and its charging on Tuesday, 28 October, from 12:30 to 13:00.
Mari Päätalo
City of Espoo
Development Manager
mari.paatalo@espoo.fi
tel. +358 40 6394550
Neste Oyj
Neste Media Service
media@neste.com
tel. +358 800 94025
Margus Kõllamägi
Managing Director
MK Trans & Logistics Oy
mk@mktrans.fi
tel. +358 44 0933088
Janne Silvonen
Volvo Finland Ab
Commercial and Technical Manager Electromobility
janne.silvonen@volvo.com
tel. +358 40 9223206
Jukka Sirén
Ramboll Finland Oy
Project Manager
jukka.siren@ramboll.fi
tel. +358 40 5899288