Electrified Highway: Testing Begins in Germany

This article was originally published in our "Décryptage Mobilité" newsletter. To receive future articles by email as soon as they are published, Subscribe now

Still in the field of freight—but this time by road—an innovative solution for reducing emissions is emerging: the electrified highway. The goal is to install dynamic charging infrastructure along the highway (e.g., rails, overhead wires, inductive charging), and to equip electrified trucks (100% electric or hybrid) with a a device for drawing electricity so that they can recharge while driving on the highway.

In early May, Germany launched a pilot project for such an electrified highway: near Frankfurt, A hybrid truck traveled 5 km under real-world traffic conditions. Videos of these tests can be seen on German television [1].

This short story echoes the recent study by Carbone 4on the economic and environmental potential of this solution technology in France. Our analysis shows a very significant reduction in emissions compared to conventional diesel trucks, thanks to the low carbon footprint of the French electricity mix, and we have identified the areas where the deployment of these projects makes economic sense. You can find the details of our study on our website or read a summary based on an interview with Atlantico [2].

The interview is an opportunity to remind us that The electrified highway is not a competitor to rail freight, because, of course, rail—like river transport and cargo bikes—must be used whenever possible under reasonable technical and economic conditions in order to reduce our emissions. Electrified highways are a way to optimize the road-based portion of freight that cannot be shifted to low-carbon modes of transport.

Finally, the last question of the interview opens the door to reflection on two issues that we may revisit in the near future, depending on current events:

• Does the growth of e-commerce allow for urban logistics that are compatible with the Paris Agreement?
• a general discussion on reducing the speed of goods in transit (and not just for maritime transport)

Article written by Aurélien Schuller – Manager

Sources:
[1] TV Show hessenschau
[2] Atlantico