From Guest Blogger Jordan: Scania to Test Conductively-Charged Electric Trucks in Sweden

Development of electric truck technologies is considered a key part of the efforts for reducing global greenhouse gas emission levels and improving air quality, but a large-scales electrification of commercial fleets has yet to occur.

One of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, Scania, is looking to change that, as it plans to test electrically-powered trucks using conductive technology, which can help make electric trucks a practical and viable option for commercial fleet operators that want to cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

The Swedish truck manufacturer has announced that it will soon start testing a newly-developed truck on an electric road using a charging system that is similar to the one used to power trams in many cities across the globe. The Gävle Electric Road project was recently approved by the Swedish Transport Administration, and will be officially kicked off in February, 2016, on a 1.3-mile stretch of European Highway 16 between the Port of Gävle and Storvik. It is partly funded by the Swedish Government, which will spend about $9 million to help build the electric road, along with local businesses, which will support it with an additional $5.7 million.

“The potential fuel savings though electrification are considerable and the technology can become a cornerstone for fossil-free road transport services. Electric roads are also a way to develop more eco-friendly transport services by using the existing road network,” says Nils-Gunnar Vågstedt, who is responsible for Scania’s research in this field.

The hybrid-electric trucks built by Scania will operate on the test route that has an overhead power line, which will supply the trucks with electricity through conductive power technology developed by Siemens. The trucks have been equipped with pantograph power collectors mounted on the frame behind the cab, which will receive the electricity coming from the overhead power lines.

According to Scania, this technology has an immense potential for reducing fuel costs and carbon emission levels for commercial fleet operators. The company estimates that conductively-charged electric trucks can cut fossil fuel emissions by anywhere between 80 and 90 percent, explaining that they will be able to operate in electric-only mode much longer than electric vehicles that don’t employ conductive charging technology, which rely solely on the electricity stored in their batteries. Operating costs would be greatly reduced, given the fact that the electric engine is much more efficient than internal combustion engines, and that electricity is a far less expensive energy source than diesel, which is the dominant fuel for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. This technology has been tested since 2013 on a test track at Scania’s research facility near Berlin.

The Gävle Electric Road project is part of the Swedish Government’s efforts for making the country’s vehicle fleet completely fossil-fuel free by 2030. Scania and Siemens plan to conduct a similar research project in the United States, as well. Both companies will soon launch a program to test the overhead charging system in California, where they intend to operate several electric trucks on a route between the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach.