Electrifying the heavy transport sector is not; easy given the characteristics that these vehicles must have, especially in terms of autonomy. Some manufacturers are focusing on the Fuel Cell, and there & # 39; & egrave; who, on the other hand, like Tesla, thinks that 100% electric solutions can be fine. In this still uncertain context, a project is making its way that aims to power electric trucks (including hybrids) while on the move, with a solution similar to that of trains.
Siemens Mobility and Continental Engineering Services (CES) have announced an agreement for the development of pantographs for electric trucks and the aerial power network. Collaboration born in response to the initiative of the Federal Ministry of Transport which aims to equip 4,000 kilometers of motorways with overhead line systems by 2030 to which trucks will be able to connect to be powered during journeys. The idea would be to electrify the most important motorway sections. traffic.
Thus, trucks operating on these electrically powered routes can easily be refueled with electricity. Everything will be possible thanks to the technology developed by Siemens Mobility. The new collaboration will be able to rely on Siemens Mobility & rsquo; experience in railway electrification and Continental Engineering Services as a supplier of development and manufacturing services for automotive technologies.
HOW DOES IT WORK? 
Electric or hybrid trucks equipped with pantographs on the roof, once they detect that they are traveling on a stretch of highway equipped with this aerial power supply network ( eHighway ), raise the pantograph to be able to refuel. In this way they will be able to proceed with the electric motor without worrying about autonomy.
The technology developed by Siemens Mobility is currently being tested on the A5 motorway in Hesse between the Zeppelinheim/Cargo City Sud junction and the Frankfurt and Darmstadt/Weiterstadt airport; on the A1 motorway (Schleswig-Holstein) between the Reinfeld and Lübeck interchanges; and on the B462 in Baden-Wuerttemberg between Kuppenheim and Gaggenau. This experimentation is; financed by the German government. By 2023 it is expected to have several large pilot plants.
The objective of the two companies is to make this system available throughout Europe. The advantages of this solution? Zero emissions (in the covered sections), no noise from the engine and reduced running costs. To be evaluated, however, if with the evolution of electric trucks or Fuel Cell trucks, a similar solution will have; still sense in the future .
It is not; the first time you hear about the use of this technology. In fact, over time some experiments have been activated in different parts of the world.
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