Swedish ministers last week opened a highway with electrified overhead wires that will power freight trucks straight from the grid.
The innovative system is part of two-year pilot project by German tech giant Siemens and Swedish heavy-truck manufacturer Scania.
A two-kilometre stretch of the E16 highway north of Stockholm will test the Siemens catenary system for trucks, using two diesel hybrid Scania vehicles.
During the trial, Sweden’s Transport Administration Trafikverket and Gävleborg County will examine whether the system is suitable for future long-term commercial use and further deployment
‘By far the greatest part of the goods transported in Sweden goes on the road, but only a limited part of the goods can be moved to other traffic types,’ said Anders Berndtsson, chief strategist at the Swedish Transport Administration.
He added: ‘That is why we must free the trucks from their dependence on fossil fuels, so that they can be of use also in the future. Electric roads offer this possibility and are an excellent complement to the transport system.’
For more information, visit siemens.com
