Sweden will be the first country to have an electric road for trucks to run on electricity similar to the electric trains. Scania will be providing the electric trucks which will use a conductive technology developed by Siemens to run two kilometer strip on electricity.
The truck receives electrical power from a pantograph power collector that is mounted on the frame behind its cab. The pantographs are in turn connected to overhead power lines that are above the right-hand lane of the road. When the truck goes outside the electrically-powered lane, the pantograph is disconnected and the truck is then powered by the combustion engine or the battery- operated electric motor. When the driver wants to overtake another vehicle while on the electrified strip of the road, the pantograph can be disconnected to use the fuel or battery.
Erixon, Scania’s head of Research and Development Claes says, “The electric road is one important milestone on the journey towards fossil-free transport. Scania is committed to the success of this project and is committed to sustainable transport solutions.”
Scania is also said to be working on various other technologies like alternative fuels, hybridized and fully-electric vehicles, and autonomously and wirelessly-connected transport to achieve Sweden’s ambition of an energy-efficient and fossil-free vehicle fleet by 2030.
