Each year, all the manufacturers of heavy trucks in Europe are invited to the Green Truck comparison test. It is organised by two German trade magazines to identify the most transport-efficient long-haul truck. Apart from a brief hiccup in 2023 – when Scania came second – the Södertälje-based manufacturer has won and been named “Green Truck” for seven out of the last eight tests. In fact, Scania has won the test nine out of the 14 times that it has been held since the competition began in 2011 – an impressive feat!

“Scania participates in many press tests in Europe, but the Green Truck Award really focuses on what is an absolute core requirement in our industry – offering customers the best possible transport efficiency,” says Stefan Dorski, Senior Vice President and Head of Scania Trucks. “Our Super-based powertrain was introduced in 2021 and brought a new performance level to the market, with its 8% fuel-savings that our customers now benefit from in their daily operations.”  

The annual “Green Truck” test is organised by the magazines Trucker and VerkehrsRundschau. It began in 2011 and has been held 14 times. So far, Scania has scored nine (!) wins in total, four second places and one 5th place (in the very first year). Needless to say, no other brand is even close to Scania’s track record. 

“Ah, the fifth place – that happened long before my tenure started,” says a smiling Dorski. “Seriously though, we at Scania are very proud and happy at having regained the title as the most efficient long-haul truck in the world. Consuming less fuel means that our trucks contribute a lot for curbing CO2 emissions, since so much of the world’s transports is still dependent on combustion engines.”  

The best truck in the test is identified by applying a clever formula that covers all the relevant aspects of being transport-efficient and sustainable: fuel consumption, average speed, used AdBlue volume and the weight of the truck (the lighter the better). 

And when one takes a closer look at the actual data that are used in the Green Truck formula, Scania’s results stand out: over 100km distance, the average difference compared to the runner-up is 0.41 litres of fuel. Taking into perspective the fact that  a long-haul truck travels something like 150,000 km each year, this makes Scania’s more than 600 litre per year better off than the nearest competitor. At 7,040 kg, the Scania truck was also the lightest vehicle, and achieved the highest average speed, at 79.70 km/h. Scania also introduced an updated version of its CCAP system (Cruise Control with Active Prediction) in May 2023, something that is believed to have given an edge in the test. 

The actual testing takes place on various types of roads (though mainly motorways) in the Munich area. Everything is closely monitored by the organisers and by staff from the participating manufacturers. A reference truck is always used to compensate for changing conditions such as head winds, rain and temperature.