Kalmar steps up eco-efficiency with electric service vans

Electrical powered vehicles play a pivotal role in Kalmar’s path to sustainable operations on a global scale and electrifying the company’s service vans is part of the overall vision. Svante Alverönn, VP Service Solutions, Kalmar, describes the project as an essential step toward eco-efficiency for Kalmar and its partners.

“We need to develop new solutions to reach our commitments on limiting global warming. The service vans constitute a big portion of our total energy consumption, so it makes sense for us to begin implementing more sustainable power options now,” says Alverönn.

"For us, eco-efficiency means using resources in the smartest way possible – across the logistics flow.”

Zero emissions by 2030

The UN Global Compact states that the average rise in global temperatures should not exceed 1.5 degrees over pre-industrial levels. Kalmar and Cargotec are committed to this goal and aim to cut all carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.

“The service vans used globally constitute a considerable portion of our emissions. Moving towards non-fossil power in this area is a key measure for delivering on our commitments and reducing our customers' carbon footprint,” says Alverönn

However, implementing new technology is never a straightforward process and it requires careful planning with each step. Even electrically powered vehicles have a carbon footprint which must be taken into account when designing the next steps.

“To reach maximum sustainability, we need to consider different options and see where we can get the best results. For us, eco-efficiency means using resources in the smartest way possible – all across the logistics flow.”

End-to-end sustainability

A well-rounded approach to eco-efficiency requires looking at all possible emission sources. At Kalmar, this means acknowledging internal operations along with the services provided.

Thomas Malmborg, SVP Services, Kalmar Mobile Solutions, says, "As passionate as we are about creating sustainable solutions and equipment for our customers, we're also dedicated to becoming an end-to-end sustainable service provider.”

Reaching sufficient levels of sustainability requires full-on planning, from improved on-site operations to globally implementable technologies.

“It is the complete package that matters, and in the end, we all just want to make this planet greener and our operations more sustainable. Making our service vans electric is one important step in that journey," adds Malmborg.

"In the end, it is all about providing a valuable service, ensuring both sustainability and high performance.”

The future of electric service vans

Successful implementation of electric service vans is already taking place in Sweden and Norway. That success gives Kalmar the confidence to introduce the new vehicles on a larger scale.

“We are happy with the outcomes so far, and we are using the experience gained to move towards electrification of material handling operations at other sites as well,” says Alverönn.

Moving to electric service vans globally still requires a lot of work, but the outlook is good. Kalmar will start the application in areas where the action radius and carry loads are the most sensible to make the shift.

“Planning in new areas can be tricky, as every site has its own characteristics and infrastructure. We need to plan locally and monitor the process carefully to ensure success. In the end, it is all about providing a valuable service, ensuring both sustainability and high performance.”