Sweden opened the electric highway 2 km for trucks

Sweden became the first country in the world to begin testing an electric high-speed highway for heavy trucks.

In contrast to the American company Nikola Motor, which is developing a conceptually new tractors on batteries, Sweden has chosen a simple and practical way. They stretched Multiple contact network that transmits electric power to traction substations on cars engines. According to this principle the city trolley run.



Experimental two-kilometer section of the contact system is open for E16 highway near the city of Gavle, north of Stockholm.

In tests "electric highway» eHighway involved heavy trucks with Scania's hybrid power plants.

In the presence of Scania trucks catenary switch to shut off the power supply and standard diesel engines. If the network is not available or there is no voltage, the motor is switched back.

Technological equipment for the project contact network and Siemens jointly developed trucks and Scania. According to Siemens information efficiency per kilometer increased almost two times (more than 80%) when the power supply of transport. For example, when driving a 60-ton truck at a distance of 200 000 km hypothetical savings from the use of a contact network of 75 000 euro (in prices of 2014) that fully pays for the cost of the modernization of the truck and other related expenses.



Maximum truck speed on the contact system is 90 km / h.

The use of electric motors also allows the recovery of braking energy, which is also a slightly increased efficiency. This is an additional advantage, as well as the environmental benefits of the noise and pollution of the atmosphere with exhaust gases reduction.



According to the Swedish authorities, this demo is to show that by 2030, the Swedish transport sector can achieve this goal and to abandon the use of fossil fuels. Now the road transport in Sweden generates about a third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, so that the government's plans can significantly improve the environmental situation. Of course, provided that the rest of the world, too, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a third.

Tests on the two-kilometer electrified section of the highway will last for two years. Thereafter, it is decided whether to use the technology on other highways.

In addition to Sweden, a similar experiment "electric highway» eHighway preparing in California with the assistance of the companies Siemens and Volvo.



Perhaps it makes sense to contact the network to lay only on major highways. If you try to hold it perfectly on all the roads, it can lead to confusion.