Germany is trialing latest eHighway system that uses overhead electrified cables to power specially-equipped trucks’ electric motors. It is a great initiative by Germany to curb the greenhouse gas emissions.
Rita Schwarzeluehr-Sutter, parliamentary state secretary at the ministry, said, “We have traffic growth, our economy lives from transport and that is why it is important to push ahead with innovative solutions,”
- Developed by the German industrial company ‘Siemens’, this eHighway is designed to work with a custom Scania hybrid truck developed by VW Group.
- This electrification system is currently operational on 6.2 miles of autobahn near Frankfurt.
- It enables specified trucks to make use of the electrified cables and travel at speeds of up to 90km per hour (56mph) without burning any petrol or diesel fuel.
- In the future, Germany hopes to expand these highways more broadly across the country.
- Trucks can switch to the internal combustion once they leave the electrified stretch. Sensors in the trucks detect when they can use the overhead cables.
- Germany spent around 70 million Euros developing the trucks that can use the system.
- These eHighways provide a practical way to reduce emissions in areas where railways aren’t possible.
- Siemens believe with this infrastructure, trucks will save around €20,000 on fuel over 100,000km (62,137 miles).
German government considers it to be an important step to curb climate change.
Schwarzeluehr-Sutter said, “If we want to achieve our climate protection targets by 2030, then that actually means that we have to make progress in this sector,”
