Sweden launches test strip of electrified highway

Sweden has launched its first electric highway, something that is serving as a test of sorts for a potential wider rollout later on. This is part of the nation’s stated goal of ditching fossil fuel-based transportation in the future, making it possible for electric trucks to operate across a two kilometer stretch of freeway. The electric highway features electrified cables running overhead; electric trucks connected to them get their power through the lines, eliminating worries about batteries and range while curbing pollution and more.

The electric highway is located north of Stockholm, and it is on a public road. Over the next two year, a pair of diesel-electric hybrid freight trucks will use it to transport goods. Speaking about the test, Sweden’s Transport Administration’s Chief Strategist Anders Berndtsson said:

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. 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.

In their present form, the hybrid freighters can travel about 56MPH while connected to the electrified lines, and they feature a sort of regenerative technology that generates energy during braking. While the technology is common, it is usually used to recharge a vehicle’s own batteries. In this case, though, the electricity is fed back into the power lines and the larger energy system, enabling it to help power other trucks.

VIA: Gizmag