How Carlsberg is making the switch today

In 2022, Carlsberg Sweden started its journey towards an electric freight network. Andreas Andersson, Head of Transportation at Carlsberg Sweden, explains why being first was important, the keys to success, and how the future expansion will transform Carlsberg’s regional operations for good. Andreas also shares his learnings and recommendations with other businesses that are thinking about making the switch to sustainable freight.

Carlsberg: Brewing for a better today and tomorrow

With a rich pioneering heritage dating back to 1847, Carlsberg – one of the world's leading brewery groups – has more than 140 brands in its beer portfolio. With its ESG program Together Towards ZERO and Beyond (TTZAB), Carlsberg has ambitious sustainability targets, such as achieving a net-zero value chain by 2040. The goal for 2030 is to have zero carbon emissions at its breweries, with a 30% reduction in value-chain carbon emissions.

As part of this commitment, Carlsberg works to reduce the carbon footprint across all parts of the business – from sourcing to distribution. With around 10% of Carlsberg’s value-chain emissions stemming from the transport of raw materials and the distribution of beer products to customers, Carlsberg is exploring lower-carbon transport alternatives that have the potential to deliver substantial emission reductions within its transportation network. One of the initiatives launched to reduce emissions from transportation is the deployment of battery electric trucks for Carlsberg’s operations in Sweden.

The switch: First in the industry

The first brewery in Sweden to make the switch, Carlsberg started electrifying its heavy-duty freight operations in 2022. Together with Einride, Carlsberg electrified the heavy warehouse transportation in Halland as the starting point. The collaboration extended the following year to include daily runs between Carlsberg Sweden’s brewery in Falkenberg and the beverage facility in Ramlösa.

“It was essential for us to be the first one in our industry in Sweden to deploy electric heavy-duty trucks. Being second was never an option for us, and fortunately, that was never the case. To this day, there’s still no other project like this. We’re still breaking ground here,” says Andreas Andersson, Head of Transportation at Carlsberg Sweden.

Following a successful first wave focusing on internal flows, Carlsberg and Einride have announced a joint expansion for the beginning of 2025, when eight trucks will be added to cover external flows.

“The transition from diesel to electric has been incredibly smooth and hassle-free for us. We’ve actually had fewer issues with our electric operations than with our diesel operations. This has a lot to do with the fact that the drivers and Einride's operational partners are on top of everything. Having the experience that Einride and its partners have is very important for us in this transition. Without that, I imagine things could easily have gone in the wrong direction,” says Andreas.

The deciding factor: A full offering

The upcoming expansion began with a tender process in which Einride was one of around 30 contenders. Only a handful of companies offered electric freight operations.

“The reason for choosing Einride was a combination of price, quality and their expertise within the field. Einride offered a competitive price in relation to the solution they provide – a full offering including experts who know which trucks to use, what charging infrastructure to install and how, as well as a full team of people working with the deployment,” says Andreas. “It’s this complete solution and operational expertise that I value so much as we don’t have this expertise internally. Being able to buy an all-in-one solution is what it ultimately boils down to.”

The solid track record since 2022 was another key consideration in Carlsberg Sweden’s decision to expand the partnership. Andreas says a successful first wave of deployment demonstrated Einride’s ability to deliver on bold commitments.

“What we really appreciated about Einride’s approach – and still do – is the willingness to succeed by finding a solution that addresses our needs. Einride’s dedication gave us the confidence to extend our partnership further. Despite the increased complexity of this second wave, we believe it will be just as successful as the first. Having Einride’s deployment team by our side now – as we’re about to embark on the next phase – is very valuable for us. Since we don’t have that expertise in-house, we put full trust in the Einride team.”

“The transition from diesel to electric has been incredibly smooth and hassle-free for us.”

With the upcoming expansion, Andreas feels very excited about the future. He says for Carlsberg Group, Sweden serves as a role model for the rest of Europe:

“The upcoming expansion will significantly contribute to reducing our carbon footprint and will continue to push our progress towards a net-zero value chain. We’ve become a prime example for the rest of the Carlsberg Group, which I’m very proud of. Several parts of the organization are looking at what we’re doing and have seen how successful our deployment has been thus far, and that’s sparking discussions about extending the partnership with Einride into other markets.”

Up next: Expanding in the region

With the upcoming deployment of eight trucks and nine charging points powered by Einride’s digital freight platform, the expanded partnership is expected to electrify approximately 7,650,000 transport kilometers in five years, saving almost 12,300 tonnes of CO2e, compared to diesel.

“After this deployment, around 20% of our road transport in Sweden will be electrified. For this wave, Einride has put in place a very packed and detailed schedule to optimize truck loading and ensure high utilization of assets – for both trucks and chargers – all enabled by the freight platform,” says Andreas.

With the installment of charging points at strategic locations such as the Falkenberg brewery and the Ramlösa facility, trucks can charge while being loaded and unloaded, increasing vehicle utilization to about 22.5 hours per day and eliminating additional downtime for charging, since it’s integrated into existing activities.

“We’ve become a prime example for the rest of the Carlsberg Group, which I’m very proud of.”

In addition to previous flows, the upcoming wave includes both transportation of aluminum cans from the packaging facility in Malmö to the Falkenberg brewery and the Ramlösa facility, as well as transportation from the breweries to external cross-docks.

“We’re electrifying additional steps in our supply chain, including external flows, resulting in significant reductions in CO2e emissions. By electrifying the entire flow from packaging facilities to breweries and ultimately to cross-docks, we’re enabling a good and green start of the flow – and we’ll see if, and how, this can be extended over time.”

Looking forward, Andreas is confident about the prospect of electric freight being an essential part of both Carlsberg’s network and the broader transportation sector: “Eventually, I believe that electric will be the primary technology for all transports. The transition from diesel to electric may not follow a linear path; I foresee using alternative fuels for longer distances during the transitional phase until battery electric or other sustainable technologies can accommodate those routes. However, there’s no turning back; this is the direction we’re heading. I don’t think anyone will drive a diesel vehicle after 2030.”

The key to success: A trusted partner

Having gained valuable experience with electric freight deployment, Andreas is glad to share some of his valuable learnings with companies that now find themselves in the same position as Carlsberg Sweden two years ago:

“For companies considering electrifying their transportation network, I recommend partnering with an expert in the field – this is key to a successful transition. You need someone by your side who can provide in-depth insights and simulate solutions before implementing them. Without this expertise, the journey will be challenging, as electric transportation requires a different mindset from diesel. However, with the right prerequisites in place, it won't disrupt your operations.”

“The reason for choosing Einride was a combination of price, quality and their expertise within the field.”

“My main learning from this project is the importance of establishing charging infrastructure. The first thing you need to do is to investigate how to install charging infrastructure for the particular flow in scope. If you don’t have that in place and there are no public chargers available, you simply can’t do it. Look at how to secure electricity and how to charge your vehicles, and ensure that you have that infrastructure in place before moving forward with the process. In our case, Einride took care of all these aspects,” says Andreas.

“Without Einride as our partner, achieving the remarkable results and implementing this expansion wouldn't have been possible. Einride's deep understanding of potential pitfalls and its invaluable guidance on how to avoid them enabled a smooth transition for us.”

—

Want to follow in Carlsberg’s footsteps and turn your electric ambitions into electric routes? Get familiar with the process in our 6 steps to intelligent, sustainable road freight, or leave your details here and an Einride representative will be in touch shortly.

‍