Cova Power will use Donut Lab’s in-wheel motors and the accompanying Donut Platform software to convert smart trailers. These will be initially rolled out across Ahola’s network, which operates throughout Finland and the Nordics, northern, central and eastern Europe. The smart trailer technology will be made commercially available globally from a production base in Estonia.
The trailers will be propelled by Donut Lab’s compact, lightweight and high-powered C-motor family, limiting the need for tractor unit pulling power and reducing emissions and costs when pulling heavy trailer loads.
Studies from the University of Oulu in Finland suggest Cova Power smart trailers can save up to 54 percent in diesel consumption, and up to 30 percent in total energy consumption - translating to annualised multi-million-Euro cost savings (based on operator fleet sizes of 1,000 units or more).
“One of the advantages of the Cova Power technology is the relative engineering simplicity of the system” said Donut Lab founding partner and CEO Marko Lehtimäki. “It can be retrofitted to any appropriately sized trailer and requires only modest per unit investment, making for quick cost amortisation. Fuel costs and emissions are two of the biggest challenges in freight transport, Cova Power addresses both, and with our solution entire existing fleets can be converted to low-emissions simply and at relative low cost, bringing the benefits of electrified trailers to all operators. The sustainability, emissions, safety and overall efficiency gains that result from our new technology are game-changing for the industry.”
Many benefits of the Cova Power electrified trailer have been proven in testing, including:
Enhanced vehicle performance, with driven axels offering greater control and safety in challenging environments and conditions, e.g. ice, wind, steep hills and more
Exponential benefits of energy savings for the environment and for business
Simple conversion of existing trailers
Relative low cost and with the savings realised immediately, fast pay-back on the investment
Cova Power’s first working unit will debut as part of the Donut Lab brand showcase at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Las Vegas in 6th-9th January 2026.
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