Turning the autobahn into an eHighway
In June 2016, Siemens, in partnership with the truck producer Scania, opened the world’s first electric highway (eHighway) on a public road in Sweden. The test track in Groß-Dölln was designed to test eHighway technology and to mirror real-world operating conditions. The test track was supported with funding from the German Federal Government’s Electric Mobility programme, specifically the ENUBA projects (electromobility in heavy commercial vehicles to reduce the environmental impact on densely populated areas). The aim of the ENUBA projects was to develop energy-efficient and clean freight transport.
A bend was added to the track to test the ability of vehicles to remain in contact with overhead wires while traveling at speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour. These features enabled design engineers to showcase the overall technical feasibility of the electrification system.
- Further reading: CLEW dossier How Germany is greening its growing freight sector to meet climate targets, CLEW factsheet Road freight emissions in Germany
- CLEW reseach tour: Energiewende - Making it happen on the autobahn
- Date of publication: September 2016