The German Government is co-financing a research project to test and develop electric road technology for eHighways. Volkswagen Group Research together with Siemens will develop technology and electric hybrid long-haulage trucks supplied by Scania for the German eHighway research project. This research is a pre-phase before the start-up of three different test areas on German public roads, with electric power supplied from overhead lines.
The project, ‘Trucks for German eHighways’, aims to reduce carbon emissions from long-haul heavy-duty commercial vehicles. During 2019 and 2020 electrically-powered trucks are to be tested on three new German eHighways. The project is co-financed by the German Government through BMUB, the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The research project is being managed by Volkswagen Group Research, that will contribute with resources and knowledge regarding vehicle electrification for passenger cars, and investigate research synergies for the electrification of heavy commercial vehicles.
In the first phase of the project, Scania will supply two electric hybrid long-haulage prototype trucks with different powertrains: one will have a single battery with a 15 kWh capacity, the other will have several batteries for greater capacity. Similar to Scania’s ongoing trials of electric hybrid trucks on an electric road in Sweden, the world’s first public road test of this technology, the German tests will see Scania trucks equipped with a pantograph power collector developed by Siemens mounted on the frame behind the cab.
Claes Erixon, executive vice president research and development, Scania, said: “For long-haulage transport, Scania sees electric roads as one promising technology for a sustainable transport future. Vehicle electrification is developing quickly and with its environmental, social and cost benefits, it will play an important role in the shift to a fossil-free transport system.”
