The joint venture, that just recently launched in Germany, aims to advance electric truck adoption to drive the transition towards a sustainable logistics industry, in line with the ACEA/PIC (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association) joint statement that "by 2040 all new commercial vehicles sold must be fossil free".

JUNA is a newly formed and Berlin-based German company (GmbH) introducing an innovative pay-per-use model for electric trucks. JUNA will effectively clear the way for a large-scale adoption of electric trucks that, on face value, are two to three times more expensive than the diesel equivalent. By offering access to guaranteed loads on sennder’s digital platform JUNA removes the obstacles of electric truck adoption for its customers.

That includes the financial challenges associated with high upfront costs, residual value, and technology risk, and provides transport companies with commercial predictability through guaranteed incomes. By combining Scania’s premium electric trucks and tailored services with sennder’s advanced technology for connecting small and medium carriers with big name shippers, JUNA is leveraging the strength of both companies to accelerate the decarbonization of European road freight logistics.

The innovative model offers the full package, including premium electric vehicles, repair, maintenance, insurance, digital and analytics services. In addition to usage-based fees and guaranteed utilization, through data analysis, JUNA optimizes electrification strategies and simulates routes for electric truck suitability.

By removing the risks associated with electric truck adoption and streamlining operations, JUNA could play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions and advancing the transition to low-emission transport.

A pilot project has just recently been successfully launched. The first customer is using an electric truck supplied by JUNA charged with renewable energy and performing up to ten lanes per week just like its diesel predecessor. The truck is operating for a well-known FMCG shipper in the region of Stuttgart.

With the potential to achieve an annual reduction of 93 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions for the first truck alone, the pilot’s scope will be expanded to include long-distance routes during 2024. The project relies on existing public charging infrastructure, and with per-kilometer costs comparable to current diesel charges.

David Nothacker, CEO of sennder, says that "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 utilization will effectively remove the barriers to adopting e-trucks."

Gustaf Sundell, Head of Ventures and New Business at Scania, added that "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... We believe it will play an important role in driving the shift to a sustainable transport system."

The two parties signed a joint venture agreement in May this year and have obtained necessary approval from the relevant competition authorities.