This allows electric trucks to charge during standard rest periods, promising a significant reduction in CO2 emissions from road freight.
In Germany, around 70% of freight transport occurs on roads, primarily using diesel-powered trucks, which significantly contribute to environmental pollution. Transitioning to electric power for freight transport could drastically reduce CO2 emissions. The NEFTON research consortium, led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) Chair of Automotive Technology, is developing the necessary technical and infrastructure solutions. The TUM, in collaboration with industry partners and research institutions, is spearheading efforts to make battery-powered trucks viable for long-distance cargo transport. This new technology allows for charging a truck’s battery sufficiently for 4.5 hours of operation within the regulatory rest period, without additional waiting time.
The team highlighted the efficiency of battery-powered trucks at around 75%, compared to 26% for fuel cell trucks and 14% for those using eFuels. However,they noted the lack of infrastructure for electric trucks along main transport routes. Megawatt charging technology is a critical advancement in this regard. The NEFTON project analyzed various logistics applications with four freight forwarding companies. Results indicated that while local distribution can mostly rely on charging at premises, long-distance transport requires a network of high-powered charging stations along highways. The project suggests installing 1-megawatt charging posts every 50 km on core routes to eliminate charging delays.
Future research will explore charging outputs up to 3 megawatts, enhancing flexibility and potentially reducing battery size and costs for further ecological benefits. They also emphasized the development of technologies enabling rapid charging of e-trucks at over 1,000 kW. They stressed the importance of real-world readiness, costs, and grid power output in their research, asserting that electric trucks combined with megawatt charging is key for decarbonizing road freight transport.They aim for close cooperation between policymakers, the energy sector, and vehicle manufacturers to expand the charging infrastructure.
