The
Volvo Group is now taking the next step in the development of
sustainable transport solutions. In collaboration with the Swedish
Transport Administration, the Volvo Group will study the potential for
building electric roads, where city buses can be charged from
electricity in the road at the same timeas the
bus is in operation. The benefit is quieter and more climate-smart
public transport. A 300- to 500-meter electric road may be built for
test operations in central Gothenburg during 2015.
“Vehicles
capable of being charged directly from the road during operation could
become the next pioneering step in the development towards reduced
environmental impact, and this is fully in line with our vision of
becoming the world leader in sustainable transport solutions. Close
cooperation between society and industry is needed for such a
development to be possible and we look forward to investigating the
possibilities together with the City of Gothenburg,” says Niklas
Gustavsson, Executive Vice President, Corporate Sustainability &
Public Affairs of the Volvo Group.
With the use of
an electric road, vehicle batteries would continuously be charged
wirelessly during operation by transferring energy from the electricity
grid to a vehicle, instead of charging the bus while it is standing
still at charging stations. The technology being studied is called
inductive charging, whereby the energy is transferred wirelessly to the
underside of the vehicle by equipment built into the road.
The Volvo Group
will develop a detailed proposal within the framework of innovation
procurement from the Swedish Transport Administration. The proposal
entails building a road section equipped with wireless charge technology
and developing vehicles that will automatically charge their batteries
when passing such a road section. The road will be built along a
suitable bus line in central Gothenburg and be tested for public
transport. Experiences from such a test track will provide valuable
knowledge for future political and industrial decisions for establishing
electric roads.
For several
years, the Volvo Group has been offering hybrid buses with a traditional
diesel engine that is supplemented by an electrical engine to reduce
CO2 emissions. Three Volvo plug-in-hybrid buses are already in operation
in Gothenburg (project Hyper Bus*), which charge their batteries at the
end stations of line 60. The next stage of development is for these
types of buses to be able to charge their batteries while in operation,
thus increasing the distance the buses can run on pure electricity. And
this is exactly what will be studied now. In 2015, a new bus line,
ElectriCity, will become operational between Chalmers and Lindholmen in
Gothenburg. This line will also provide additional knowledge of charging
technology and electric power for heavy vehicles.
“We are working on both a broad and a deep basis to develop the technology of tomorrow.
Electric roads are another important part of the puzzle in our aim of
achieving transport solutions that will minimize the impact on the
environment,” says Niklas Gustavsson.
May 19, 2014
(*Hyper Bus is short for Hybrid and Plug-in Extended Range Bus)
