SODERTALJE, Sweden—Engineers at Scania Group, a leading European truck manufacturer, have developed a solar-powered vehicle. It features lightweight, thin-film solar panels mounted on the roof and sides of a semi trailer.
“Never before have solar panels been used to generate energy to a truck’s power train like we do in this collaboration,” claims Stas Krupenia, head of R&D at Scania. “This natural energy source can significantly decrease emissions in the transport sector. It is great to be at the forefront in the development of next-generation trucks.”
According to Krupenia, solar energy gives the hybrid truck a prolonged driving range of up to 5.000 kilometers annually in Sweden. In countries like Spain, with sunnier climates, the vehicle can double the amount of solar energy.
