Skip to main content

World's first eHighway opens in Sweden

Today sees the opening of the world's first eHighway in Sweden. For the next two years, a Siemens catenary system for trucks will be tested on a two-kilometre stretch of the E16 highway north of Stockholm. The trial will use two diesel hybrid vehicles manufactured by Scania and adapted, in collaboration with Siemens, to operate under the catenary system The core of the system is an intelligent pantograph combined with a hybrid drive system. A sensor system enables the pantograph to connect to and disconn
June 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Today sees the opening of the world's first eHighway in Sweden. For the next two years, a 189 Siemens catenary system for trucks will be tested on a two-kilometre stretch of the E16 highway north of Stockholm. The trial will use two diesel hybrid vehicles manufactured by Scania and adapted, in collaboration with Siemens, to operate under the catenary system

The core of the system is an intelligent pantograph combined with a hybrid drive system. A sensor system enables the pantograph to connect to and disconnect from the overhead line at speeds of up to 90 km per hour. Trucks equipped with the system draw power from the overhead catenary wires as they drive, enabling them to travel efficiently and with zero local emissions.

The hybrid system enables operation outside of the contact line, maintaining the flexibility of conventional trucks. The eHighway technology features an open configuration, meaning that other solutions, such as battery or natural gas, can be implemented as an alternative to the diesel hybrid drive system used in Sweden. This allows the system to be adapted flexibly to the specific application.

Transport accounts for more than one third of Sweden's CO2 emissions, with almost half of that coming from freight transport. As part of its climate protection strategy, Sweden has committed to having a fossil fuel independent transport sector by 2030.

During the two-year trial, Sweden's Transport Administration 6301 Trafikverket and Gävleborg County plan to create a knowledge base to determine whether the Siemens eHighway system is suitable for future long-term commercial use and further deployment.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rethink required to reduce road transport’s environmental impact
    March 15, 2016
    Against a background of a renewed focus on limiting the rise in average temperatures, Colin Sowman looks at a project that is taking a holistic approach to the environmental impact and safety of road transport. At the COP21 meeting in Paris last December, almost 200 nations agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to keep the rise in global temperatures to 2°C) compared with pre-industrial levels. The transportation sector is a major contributor to the production of CO2, one of the main green
  • Sweden unveils electrified road to charge vehicles while driving
    April 20, 2018
    Swedish minister for infrastructure Tomas Eneroth and director general of the Swedish transport administration Lena Erixon attended the inauguration of an electrified road outside of Stockholm, on the 11 April. The eRoadArlanda will aim to enable commercial and passenger vehicles to be recharged to help make fossil-free transportation a reality. Around 2km of electric rail has been installed along public road 893 between the Arlanda Cargo Terminal and the Rosersberg logistics area. The solution transfers
  • Freight poses growing problem for city authorities
    March 3, 2017
    Wes Guckert considers possible solutions and countermeasures to the problems of increased freight deliveries in growing cities. In January 2016, the US Department of Transportation (USDoT) conducted a session on the SmartCity Challenge and Urban Freight and Logistics. This session was a follow-up to the USDoT report titled, Beyond Traffic 2045.
  • Mature solutions for emerging economies
    June 8, 2015
    Siemens’ Marcus Welz talks to David Crawford about suitable ITS solutions for emerging economies. Be bold in vision - and output - and user-oriented in practice,” Marcus Welz advises emerging economies planning ITS investments. Says the Siemens Group senior vice president and global sales director for ITS: “Their road users need better, more reliable and safer trips – but without costs increasing too much. The good news is that many countries are already tackling the big issues of traffic and the environmen