SiemenseHighway for electric trucks in Germany
Siemens was commissioned by the state of Hesse to build an overhead line system for an electrified road freight transport system on a 10 km route. The overhead line will supply the electric drive of a hybrid truck with electricity.
The trucks are always powered by an electric motor. On electrified routes, the electric motor is supplied with power via the overhead line. The pantograph transmits the current from the overhead line to the truck's drive system. The trucks also have a diesel engine for non-electrified routes. This engine drives a generator that produces the electricity to drive the electric motor. During overtaking maneuvers or on non-electrified routes, the vehicles can switch to conventional diesel operation or optionally to an energy storage system.