These start-ups want to improve health care in the UK Growing tomatoes in the middle of the desert LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23: Alternatively-fuelled vehicles including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and hydrogen cars are displayed during a photocall by the Society Of Motor Manufacturers in Potters Field on February 23, 2017 in London, England. In a bid to reduce pollution older, more polluting cars will be subject to a £10 T-Charge for entering the congestion charge zone in London from October 23. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) This robot named Stan can park your car at the airport 07 May 2019, Hessen, Darmstadt: Two Scania R450 Hybrid tractors with extended pantograph are about to start operating the first German test track for electric trucks with overhead contact line at a service area on motorway 5 (A5). The eHighway will be tested in public road traffic for the first time on the 10-kilometer test track between the Langen/Mörfelden and Weiterstadt junctions. Photo: Silas Stein/dpa (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images) (CNN Business) — Trucks are guzzling ever more diesel, polluting towns and cities and fueling climate change. Germany thinks it may have found the answer by using overhead lines to power big rigs. A system that allows trucks to draw electric power from overhead cables went into operation on 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of the autobahn on Tuesday, according to the German government. It’s the first such test on a public road in Germany. Developed by Siemens (SIEGY), the system allows big rigs with special equipment mounted on their roofs to connect to electrified lines while traveling at speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour (56 miles per hour). The trucks run on electric motors when connected to the overhead lines, and a hybrid system when they return to a traditional road. Sensors detect when the overhead wires are available. Siemens says its eHighway system combines the efficiency of electric rail with the flexibility of trucking. Another benefit is a sharp reduction in emissions of CO2 and nitrogen oxides. Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images Trucks on a section of road used to test the eHighway system in Germany. Siemens argues that the system can be integrated with existing road infrastructure, making it a practical way to reduce emissions and energy consumption in places where railways aren’t feasible. Road benefits The section of road opened Tuesday is part of a crucial link between Frankfurt airport, a global freight hub, and a nearby industrial park. Two more stretches of highway with the system will open soon. The German government spent €70 million ($77 million) to develop trucks that can use the system. Siemens said that a truck owner could save €20,000 ($22,370) on fuel over 100,000 kilometers (62,137 miles). Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images A technician works on a big rig before the tests commence. Environmental boost Truck transportation is the world’s fastest growing source of oil demand, according to the International Transport Forum, which is part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. According to the group, road transportation of goods will also account for 15% of the projected increase in global CO2 emissions until 2050. Slashing carbon emissions from transportation including freight is a key part of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which aims limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Projects like the one in Germany could be part of a solution that includes increased railway and electric vehicle use. “Electrified trucks are particularly efficient solution on the road to carbon-neutral transportation,” said Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, state secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment. Tests and demonstrations of the eHighway technology have also been conducted on a smaller scale in Sweden and near the US ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.<doc-sep>The technology could reduce carbon emissions significantly. Electric Highway A stretch of a prominent Germany highway just got a high-tech upgrade: overhead power lines — like the ones you only see over rail tracks — that can power hybrid trucks. The German government announced yesterday that a 6.2 mile (10 km) stretch of the autobahn got the upgrade, a test that could pave the way for a new carbon neutral strategy to transport goods. The system, first developed by German conglomerate Siemens in 2012, allows hybrid big rigs to charge their batteries while traveling at speeds of up to 56 mph (90 km/h). Built-in sensors can notify the truck when to switch back to a combustion engine if there are no overhead cables available. Similar stretches of electric highways have been built in Sweden and the United States. Other solutions for charging electric vehicles while they drive include rails built into the asphalt. Advertisement Advertisement Cutting Emissions Siemens is promising that the overhead lines can bring carbon emission reductions to other places where railways don’t make sense or aren’t possible to build. Electrifying truck transportation could also save a ton of fuel: 20,000 euros worth for every truck traveling 62,000 miles (100,000 km), according to Siemens’ website. READ MORE: Germany is opening its first electric highway for trucks [CNN] More on electric roads: EV-Charging Roads Have Arrived. Here’s Why We Do (and Don’t) Need Them. Advertisement Advertisement As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent company’s forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. It’s free to join, sign up now!<doc-sep>A 6-mile stretch of "eHighway" has opened in Germany. The road, inspired by electric-train lines, has cost Germany's environment ministry 14 million euros and is under testing until 2022. Conductor rods attached to a truck's roof connect with 670-volt overhead cables, which charge the trucks as they drive. overhead cables, which charge the trucks as they drive. Germany also spent 70 million euros developing a truck, which Siemens said will save $22,000 in fuel per 62,100 miles. Germany's transportation ministry said up to 80% of Germany's truck traffic may soon become electrified in an effort to curb emissions. Siemens also trialed the eHighway in Carson, California, in November 2017. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Germany has opened its first-ever section of "eHighway," which allows hybrid cargo trucks to charge their batteries while they are on the move. On Tuesday, the German government introduced the technology on a 6-mile-long stretch of Autobahn near the city of Frankfurt. It uses 670-volt direct-current overhead cables that let electric trucks draw power and recharge their batteries on the go. The program, called Elisa (electrified innovative heavy traffic on the Autobahn), is an environment-ministry-sponsored project involving the electronics giant Siemens and authorities from the state of Hesse, where it is taking place. A truck with its extended conductor rods. hessenschau The trucks — which have conductor rods called pantographs added to the top of the cabin — must be going less than 56 mph to successfully make a connection. Read more: 10 cities where buying an electric car may not be worth it When they're connected, they run on electricity alone. When they rejoin the normal highway, they switch back to their hybrid engines. Siemens, which makes the eHighways, published this graphic. Siemens Siemens said the technology would save a 40-ton truck 20,000 euros ($22,000) in fuel costs over 62,100 miles. It also said that if a driver swerved to the left or right while connected to the cables, it would not detach. The 6-mile stretch of the A5 Autobahn will be tested until 2022, after which a decision will be made on whether or not to expand the project, which has so far cost the government a total of 14 million euros. Germany also spent 70 million euros ($77 million) to make a special hybrid truck with Scania and Volkswagen for the track. This video from Siemens shows how the project is intended to connect sea ports with cities using the trucks and the eHighway. Germany's transportation ministry recently published a study saying 80% of Germany's truck traffic could soon become electrified, according to Deutsche Welle. Read more: 32 electric cars you'll see on the road by 2025 Two more eHighway tracks are already being built. One is in the northern region of Schleswig-Holstein, the other is in Baden-Württemberg, in southwest Germany. Germany said it wanted to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 40% by 2020, by 55% by 2030, and up to 95% by 2050, compared with 1990 levels. Siemens also trialed the eHighway in Carson, California, in November 2017.<doc-sep>
As part of efforts to reduce air pollution caused by diesel-powered delivery trucks, engineering giant Siemens and heavy-vehicle maker Scania teamed up on a project several years ago to make greener vehicles. The pair came up with a hybrid truck that draws power from overhead electric lines fitted along a regular highway, making it similar to systems long-used by many trams and trains. To adapt it for trucks, Siemens created an extendable power coupler that automatically extends from the top of the vehicle to connect to the electric lines when sensors detect their presence. Besides being kinder to the environment, such a system also has the potential to save businesses much time and money: The trucks don’t need to make any stops to recharge their batteries, which also eliminates the need to build and maintain charging stations. The so-called eHighway made its debut in Germany on Tuesday, May 7, on a busy 6.2-mile (10 km) stretch of road just south of Frankfurt. Other trials of the technology have already taken place in Sweden and Los Angeles, though on much shorter stretches of road. In Germany, transportation officials are hoping that positive data from its first eHighway will allow it to introduce the technology to other major roads in the country. Trucks equipped with Siemen’s technology operate emission-free when using electricity from the overhead lines. On roads without power lines, they can use energy stored by onboard batteries, switching to diesel power only if it runs out. It’s worth noting that the trucks can maintain a steady speed when coupling with the power lines, ensuring the smooth flow of traffic. If a truck comes up against a much slower vehicle while on the eHighway, the coupler can disconnect for overtaking and then automatically reconnect when it returns to the lane with the overhead lines. Siemens unveiled the first version of its eHighway in 2012 as a green solution for large commercial trucks. At the time, battery technology wasn’t up to the job of powering heavy-duty vehicles across large distances, but technological advances, coupled with growing interest in electric trucks from the likes of Volvo, Daimler, and Tesla, will leave some wondering if Siemens’ system offers an effective long-term solution. The German company claims its eHighway is “twice as efficient compared to internal combustion engines” and therefore can help to cut energy consumption and reduce local air pollution. Germany is aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050, and is eyeing 2030 as a cutoff date for new sales of vehicles with gas- and diesel-powered engines. Siemens’ eHighway, if it’s installed on more roads across the country, could also play its part in helping the nation to hit its green targets. Editors' Recommendations