Sweden has electrical systems on motorways that operate on public roads. The two-year project aims to reduce the pollution and energy consumption of trucks.
Located north of Stockholm, the motorway system (eHighway) allows electric vehicles to operate on public roads.
The eHighway system process
The first electric highway in Sweden allows electric trucks to operate along a two-kilometer highway. For the test, a pair of diesel-electric hybrid electric trucks are used to carry goods because this is one of the main means of transporting goods across the country.
According to Anders Berndtsson, Chief Strategist of the Transport Administration of Sweden, the ehighway system makes the dependence of fossil fuel trucks disappear: “In the end, most of the goods transported to Sweden are on their way, but only a limited part of the goods can be “We have to release the trucks from their dependence on fossil fuels so they can be used in the future.” Electric roads offer this possibility and are an excellent complement to the transport system, Berndtsson said.
Composed of electrified wires running overhead, the electric highway connects electric trucks via power lines. Thus, the two hybrid diesel engines operate within a chain system.
A feature that adds innovation to the Swedish highway is the hybrid technology system. Hybrid trucks have a traditional combustion engine and an electric car. To operate on the highway, a sensor located above the vehicle detects the available power lines to connect to the system. Each truck contains a pantograph (also known as a current collector, is a vehicle mounted roof rack to collect power through contact with a front power cable) that can be managed automatically or manually by the driver.
When we reach the end of the electric highway, the system changes smoothly from one power source to another. Pantograph technology has been developed by German technology company Siemens.
The project includes a two-year test to assess the performance of the system while driving in other types of vehicle. The test also includes the assessment of the system while operating under different weather conditions. The eHighway system was inspired by Sweden’s desire to protect the environment from fossil fuel pollution.
