Collaboration drives electric transport shift in Portugal

The shift to sustainable transport requires cross-industry collaborations, such as a recent initiative to roll out heavy-duty electric vehicles for the transportation of IKEA products in Portugal.

Transporter KLOG will deploy the first of several electric Scania trucks to transport IKEA products from the IKEA Industry factory in Paços de Ferreira to the Porto Harbour in Leixões, and to nearby IKEA stores.  

The collaboration and electric transition are the result of discussions initiated by IKEA Supply Chain Operations and Scania Group in 2023. They are bold first steps in the Portuguese market, where the electrification of heavy transport is challenging and the development of local infrastructure is still in early stages. 

The shift to electric in Portugal has been made economically and practically possible through calculations of routes, energy use and charging time for the battery-electric vehicle.  

IKEA Industry will implement a pick-and-drop solution, where the vehicle’s trailer is left at the depot and replaced with another loaded one, to maximise the vehicle’s uptime and to avoid empty trucks. Charging solutions will be provided at the harbour by the Portuguese Port Authority of Leixões (APDL) and are expected by IKEA at the IKEA Industry factory.  

“To be able to make a real shift towards transport decarbonisation, we need to collaborate across the value chain,” said Category Area Transport Manager of IKEA Supply Chain Operations, Dariusz Mroczek. 

“Today’s announcement is a great example of how we reduce carbon emissions and find scalable solutions together.”  

Scania believes the collaboration will inspire others to work together to solve the challenges facing the zero-emission transition in countries like Portugal.

“At Scania, we have made it our purpose to drive the shift towards a sustainable transport system,” said Head of Strategic Account Management at Scania, Evalena Falck.

“Although the technology for sustainable transport is ready, the deployment and scaling of it often requires that the relevant actors come together. 

“This collaboration shows how it can be done in practice and I hope it inspires others to follow suit.”

One of the first transporters to use electric vehicles in Portugal, KLOG’s Managing Director, Egídio Lopes, says the company is proud to lead the way.

“History is being written, and we are of course immensely proud to be among the first in Portugal to run electric goods transportations,” Mr Lopes said.

“Our vision is to be recognised in the international market as a leading logistics company in excellence of services, consistently providing high standards of quality to our customers and promoting responsible business and environmental practices.”

Similar electric transitions for the transportation of IKEA products are also taking place in southern France and Poland.