The first electric rescue vehicle

This is a fairly unique tow truck. (Photo: Viking)

Viking has operated the first battery-electric tow truck in Scandinavia.

The rescue service must turn to solutions that make it more sustainable, and for example, a company like Viking has since 2020 many smaller service vehicles equipped with an electric drive.

But what comes to mind when it comes to roadside assistance are primarily large and heavy trucks, and in this sector the switch to battery electric has been long overdue.

But now it happens.

– For us at Viking, this tow truck signals the goal of reducing emissions, says Sven Citrum from the Viking Rescue Service.

They have gained so well from smaller utility vehicles with electric motors that they are now making the step towards larger vehicles.

The vehicle that has taken this historic step is Scania’s battery electric van (BEV), more specifically the 25P twin-axle van which is available with either a 165 kWh or 300 kWh battery pack.

Viking chose the larger battery, and stated that the electric tow truck has a range of up to 250 kilometers during normal driving.

The vehicle is equipped with a Scania power take-off, which supplies the vehicle’s superstructure with oil for operation, Viking says.

They also say Vang Auto-Service supplied the superstructure from Italian company Omars, and the superstructure is similar to what Viking uses on many of its Scania recovery vehicles with diesel engines.

Viking, which is concerned with providing zero-emission and environmentally friendly services, is a major player in Scandinavia, and has a total of 500 recovery vehicles in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

In total, the cars solve about five million tasks a year, and the plant in Oslo that is now getting the electric tow truck is the only one owned in Norway and has about 50,000 tasks a year.

One of the reasons for the many quests is a bit mysterious.

– In recent years, we have seen an increasing number of holes. We don’t have a completely specific reason, but heavier cars and fewer cars with spare wheels could be among the reasons, says Citrum.

In addition to the tow truck, Norsk Scania in cooperation with Vang Auto-Service also built a battery-powered TMA truck, so-called cushion trucks that are used to secure damage sites along roads with heavy traffic.