This week: should we go for a ride? l this week: should we go for a ride? ~ , l, ride? i think we should. Alasdair _ ride? i think we should. Alasdair keane ride? i think we should. | alasdair keane strapped ride? i think we should. Alasdair keane strapped into a truck with a distance. Different difference. But how hard is it to power a drug by battery? how hard is it to power a drug by battery? you can start with lots of robots. _ by battery? you can start with lots of robots. It _ by battery? you can start with lots of robots. It is _ by battery? you can start with lots of robots. It is quite lots of robots. It is quite mesmerising _ lots of robots. It is quite mesmerising to lots of robots. It is quite mesmerising to watch. I lots of robots. It is quite mesmerising to watch. Love a robot. I know mesmerising to watch. Love a robot. I know you _ mesmerising to watch. Love a robot. I know you do. Mesmerising to watch. Love a robot. I know you do. Plus mesmerising to watch. Love a i robot. I know you do. Plus from ten wheels _ robot. I know you do. Plus from ten wheels to _ robot. I know you do. Plus from ten wheels to do _ robot. I know you do. Plus from ten wheels to do but _ robot. I know you do. Plus from ten wheels to do but how robot. I know you do. Plus from ten wheels to do but how aboutl ten wheels to do but how about a scooter powered by gas? we have also _ a scooter powered by gas? we have also been overrun by rats this week, but ai has a solution in its sites. And there is _ solution in its sites. And there is something solution in its sites. And| there is something weird lurking in the water. Those are my toes you lurking in the water. Those are my toes you are _ lurking in the water. Those are my toes you are talking lurking in the water. Those are my toes you are talking about, and they were freezing. If you leave them and they were freezing. If you leave them in _ and they were freezing. If you leave them in their _ and they were freezing. If you leave them in their long and they were freezing. If you l leave them in their long enough you will leave them in their long enough you will real story here is we are exploring the depths by robots _ are exploring the depths by robots. .. robots. The world of transport wants to go robots. The world of transport wants to go electric, but robots. The world of transport | wants to go electric, but some vehicles are easier to electrify than others. While the tech world is going mad for electric cars, bigger vehicles are proving more difficult. Big and heavier they are, the bigger and heavier the batteries need to be. More than a uuarter batteries need to be. More than a quarter of batteries need to be. More than a quarter of greenhouse batteries need to be. More than a quarter of greenhouse gas a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions from road transport in the eu comes from heavy duty vehicles. And because nearly everything we eat, drink and where will have been in a big truck at some point, the cleaner, greenerfuture is cleaner, greener future is going cleaner, greenerfuture is going to need cleaner, greener haulage. In going to need cleaner, greener haulaae. Haulage. In some manufacturers are pushing _ haulage. In some manufacturers are pushing on _ haulage. In some manufacturers are pushing on with _ haulage. In some manufacturers are pushing on with the are pushing on with the switch to electric, as alasdair keane has been finding out. There are millions of heavy goods trucks driving on roads all over the world. But why are so few of them running on electricity? to find out, we are near sweden plasma capital, home to one of europe's biggest truck manufacturers. They are on the long road to changing an industry that is having a big impact on our planet. This is the largest impact on our planet. This is the largest change _ impact on our planet. This is the largest change our the largest change our industry has over a hundred years. When we went from horses to vehicles actually. We went from horses to vehicles actuall. .. ' actually. Now trundling off the end of the _ actually. Now trundling off the end of the production actually. Now trundling off the end of the production line actually. Now trundling off the end of the production line is i end of the production line is an increasing number of electric trucks. And scania eventually wants that to be every vehicle they make. Switching to electric production has not been easy. One of the biggest challenges is the weight of the batteries. They had to reinforce the concrete and bring in new equipment to be able to lift them, and that meant closing down the production line for three months. down the production line for three months. . ,. three months. There are several thousand new _ three months. There are several thousand new components three months. There are several thousand new components in. Three months. There are several| thousand new components in the electric vehicles, and they are also, what was very important during this time, so they could be able also to work on electric vehicles just as they do on internal combustion engines. Do on internal combustion engines do on internal combustion enuines. ~. , engines. Unlike four cars, this move to electric _ engines. Unlike four cars, this move to electric tracking move to electric tracking is going at a very slow pace. So what motivates a company to make such a big gearshift? welcome on board. Make such a big gearshift? welcome on board. Nice to meet ou. I welcome on board. Nice to meet you i am welcome on board. Nice to meet you. I am hitching _ welcome on board. Nice to meet you. I am hitching a _ welcome on board. Nice to meet you. I am hitching a lift you. I am hitching a lift with the man with the keys to this organisation. This company has been part of the problem for 130 years almost, a long time producing those trucks that were emitting the emissions that were not good for the planet. Is there guilt behind the change? the change? yeah, i think there is uuilt, the change? yeah, i think there is guilt, there _ the change? yeah, i think there is guilt, there is _ the change? yeah, i think there is guilt, there is the _ is guilt, there is the notion that we want to be able to see our kids and grandchildren in the eyes and say we knew it and we chose to do something about it. Instead ofjust trying to continue to optimise profits and do the things that companies do. And there is also a notion of coming early to the insight that this is the future competitiveness. If you are lost last into this journey you will have a problem to compete because at some point everyone will understand, and that has been really important because you have to have that as a company, when you are to convince your supervisory board, your owners and everyone around you in the ecosystem that you need to walk down this path. That you need to walk down this ath. . that you need to walk down this ath,.. , that you need to walk down this ath. .. ,. , path. Not only did scania stop out of it for _ path. Not only did scania stop out of it for several _ out of it for several months, they also built this battery plant next to where the trucks are assembled. We are in one of the most high tech parts of the site where lots of robots are assembling the batteries that will end up in the trucks. It is quite mesmerising to watch. These batteries weigh an incredible 4000 kg. That presents lots of challenges for those driving them. There are still lots of questions though about using battery electric. Is it powerful enough to move these heavy trucks? is there these heavy trucks? is there the charging infrastructure to get them when they need to go and at three times the cost of and at three times the cost of a normal truck, are they a sound investment that companies will get their money back on? and part of the debate has also been about other ways to power trucks, with some in the industry suggesting hydrogen fuel cells are the best solution for green tracking. Battery electric is the most cost efficient, so therefore we believe in this, and also it is possible to build infrastructure and everything around it. Infrastructure and everything around it around it. Shall we go for a ride? i think _ around it. Shall we go for a ride? i think we _ around it. Shall we go for a ride? i think we should,. Around it. Shall we go for a i ride? i think we should, let's do it. Ride? ithink we should, let's do it. It ride? i think we should, let's do it it is ride? i think we should, let's do it. It is completely ride? i think we should, let's do it. It is completely silent. | do it. It is completely silent. And it is _ do it. It is completely silent. And it is strong, _ do it. It is completely silent. And it is strong, the do it. It is completely silent. And it is strong, the torque l do it. It is completely silent. | and it is strong, the torque is amazing _ and it is strong, the torque is amazinu. . , , and it is strong, the torque is amazing amazing. You must still have a hard time _ amazing. You must still have a hard time convincing _ amazing. You must still have a hard time convincing drivers i amazing. You must still have a hard time convincing drivers to make the switch. hard time convincing drivers to make the switch. There is a lot of scepticism, i _ make the switch. There is a lot of scepticism, i am _ make the switch. There is a lot of scepticism, i am travelling l of scepticism, i am travelling over lot in _ of scepticism, i am travelling over lot in myjob and i was in finland a over lot in myjob and i was in finland a couple of weeks ago, which finland a couple of weeks ago, which i finland a couple of weeks ago, which i would have expected to be a _ which i would have expected to be a market ready to transition quickly be a market ready to transition quickly. But huge scepticism. Will this quickly. But huge scepticism. Will this really works, cannot stand will this really works, cannot stand the temperatures of northern finland, the home ofm northern finland, the home ofm of_ northern finland, the home of. . . Of santa claus, really cold, of. . . Of santa claus, really cold, really tough drives, really _ cold, really tough drives, really high vehicle weights, and i really high vehicle weights, and i understand that. We need to take and i understand that. We need to take that on, with facts, and to take that on, with facts, and the _ to take that on, with facts, and the best way to convince customers is as always when something is new, and this is a very something is new, and this is a very traditional industry, we are used _ very traditional industry, we are used to that, but when there are used to that, but when there is are used to that, but when there is something you, let them there is something you, let them test. By there is something you, let them test there is something you, let them test. J ::,~,::.. them test. By 2030, scania one half the trucks _ them test. By 2030, scania one half the trucks they sell them test. By 2030, scania one half the trucks they sell to them test. By 2030, scania one half the trucks they sell to be i half the trucks they sell to be electric, and fully battery operated by 2050, but that is still a long way off. == operated by 2050, but that is still a long way off. still a long way off. Wants half. Ithink still a long way off. Wants half. I think this _ still a long way off. Wants half. I think this journey half. I think this journey could _ half. I think this journey could be much accelerated if the legislature would be more active the legislature would be more active in supporting the change. This is our biggest challenge now. The vehicle is here, what we sit in now is 40 tons, _ here, what we sit in now is 40 tons, it here, what we sit in now is 40 tons, it is _ here, what we sit in now is 40 tons, it is european long haulage _ tons, it is european long haulage but we are also supplying 60, 64, 74 and 80 tons supplying 60, 64, 74 and 80 tons trucks. We have spent a lot of tons trucks. We have spent a lot of time in brussels, in stockholm and berlin to try and convince stockholm and berlin to try and convince politicians that this is a good _ convince politicians that this is a good thing, this is not just is a good thing, this is not just for is a good thing, this is not just for the environment, it is also _ just for the environment, it is also great _ just for the environment, it is also great driver environment. The road also great driver environment. The road to green tracking is slow. There is still a lot of work to do to manufacturers across the industry trying to convince buyers to make the switch. That was alasdair keane. And now from heavy goods vehicles to something more nimble. In vehicles to something more nimble.. nimble. In some parts of the world scooters _ nimble. In some parts of the world scooters have nimble. In some parts of the world scooters have alreadyl world scooters have already gone electric, with lightweight bikes and hot swappable batteries making a lot of sense. *. . Sense. But even the electric scooter is sense. But even the electric scooter is taking a while to l scooter is taking a while to reach everyone. In the meantime nikhil inamdar has been to india to see a bike powered by compressed natural gas. 215 million. That is the number of two wheelers on india's roads. Emitting harmful pollutants that are adding to the worsening air quality of its cities. But one company now claims it has a solution. This is bajaj auto's freedom, the well*s first motorbike that runs on compressed natural gas, or cng. It is basically a gas thatis or cng. It is basically a gas that is compressed and stored in a cylinder. And it is both cleaner and cheaper than other automobile fuels like petrol or diesel. But cars, trucks and even tuktuks have used cng for long but mounting this tank on a two wheeler has been a lot of trial and error. What have been the challenges of this bike? the motorcycle has a very different space, a cng cylinder big, it is heavy and it is of a certain shape. So that has to be integrated and designed to take care of that. Just to quickly show you, this is a two kilograms cng cylinder weighs 15 kg, which has been packed into this bike. So you can see how large this is. Along with this, to give the customer reassurance that the customer will never be stranded, there is an auxiliary fuel tank which is an auxiliary fuel tank which is right over here, this is another two litres. Another two litres. Ba'a' claims using another two litres. Ba'a' claims using this i another two litres. Ba'a' claims using this fuel claims using this fuel effectively harbours the running cost of the motorbike. And it dramatically reduces emissions of several harmful greenhouse gases. Despite being fuelled by cng this does feel like writing any other bike. The big question and everybody*s mind is really the timing of the launch, because this has come into the market when we are all on the cusp of a big revolution. The indian government wants 80% of all two wheelers on its roads to be electric by 2030. Is that a problem? i electric by 2030. Is that a problem? electric by 2030. Is that a problem? electric by 2030. Is that a roblem?. ,. problem? i am still saying an electric motorcycle _ problem? i am still saying an electric motorcycle itself electric motorcycle itself todayis electric motorcycle it