Could you provide some information about Scania’s presence in Chile and its relevance to the mining sector?

Certainly, Scania has a significant presence in Chile with 15 branches of our own and 16 CWS (workshops within our customers’ facilities). We are also in the process of opening two new branches, one in Santiago South and one in Valdivia, and we are going to invest in a new workshop in Antofagasta. In the last two years, we have progressed from a 12% market share to a 16.8% market share, holding the number two position in the overall market. In 2021, we invoiced 1,692 trucks and 275 buses, of which 240 were for the mining sector. Scania is the market leader for delivering buses to the mining industry in Chile. We have a department entirely dedicated to the mining sector that develops new products with the required specifications for mining applications. Additionally, we have teams in Chile that are fully dedicated to mining activities.

Can you tell us about Scania’s US$5 million investment in Antofagasta?

Certainly, the Antofagasta region has experienced significant growth in rolling fleet and workshop services in recent years, and we needed to increase capacity to accommodate this demand. Therefore, we decided to invest US$5 million to build a new workshop, and construction is due to start in September/October 2022. This workshop will serve as our headquarters for mining activities in northern Chile.

What are the main safety aspects of Scania’s equipment for mining companies?

At Scania, we have a modular system that allows us to build the best fleet to specific operating conditions. For the mining industry, we offer vehicles incorporated with the latest safety technologies that adapt to rugged terrain such as the roads leading to mine sites. We have incorporated technologies on our buses and trucks that enable the vehicle to lead the trajectory. We also have Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which is a tool where the driver can adapt and regulate the speed on specific sections of the road. Additionally, we have installed Advanced Emergency Break (AEB) technology on our trucks and buses, which significantly reduces collision risks. Furthermore, we have an Electronic Stability Program (ESP), which greatly increases driving safety by monitoring key stability parameters and automatically triggering appropriate controls. The ESP system is designed to work on wet or slippery roads where under- or over-steering often occurs and on dry roads where the main risk is a roll-over resulting from excessive speed or adverse camber on bends.

How do Scania’s vehicles and financing solutions help the cost efficiency of an operation?

In order for a mine to be profitable, operators must haul as much material as possible at the lowest cost. Our long-haul vehicles are built to the highest requirements with the highest possible efficiency to deliver even in extremely harsh environments. Scania trucks have great fuel consumption, which significantly decreases transportation costs. Maintenance on our trucks and buses is also extremely cost efficient.

Furthermore, Scania provides flexible financing and insurance solutions tailored to give the customer predictable costs and manageable risks over the entire lifecycle of our vehicles. We offer short-term or long-term rental options to customers, which is a great option when they want to avoid tying up capex or when they need an extra vehicle at short notice to cover peaks in demand. Customers can rent vehicles from one week to three years, and the vehicle is covered by Scania insurance for full repair and maintenance, FMS Fleet management system, and monitoring of the vehicle during the entire rental period.