A new electrified highway has opened in Germany. A six mile stretch of autobahn located near Frankfurt has been outfitted with an overhead electrical cabling system which can be accessed on the fly (and at highway speeds) by specially equipped hybrid vehicles via retractable, roof-mounted conductor rods.
The project is the result of a partnership between the German environment ministry and Siemens. It is the third trial of the Siemens “eHighway” system which aims to, “reduce the use of fossil fuels and truck operating costs, at the same time eliminating local emissions such as CO2 and nitrogen oxides.” Previous trials of the eHighway system have been successfully executed in Sweden (2016) and California (2017). The initial trials of the eHighway have been focused on the trucking industry. However, Siemens envisions other use cases for this technology such as shuttle transport between ports and logistics centers and mine transport.
It is encouraging to see companies like Siemens coming up with innovative solutions for environmental challenges. Hopefully more projects like this will be coming down the pike in the near future. For projects like this to catch and scale, the infrastructure and components used will need to be tested to ensure that they are able to reliably withstand a variety of environmental conditions.
Associated Environmental Systems designs and manufactures environmental test chambers which are capable of simulating a variety of potential road conditions. Our chambers are factory calibrated and offer precise temperature and humidity control. We also manufacture salt spray chambers for simulating roads near the ocean. Our standard chambers come in many sizes from small bench top chambers to larger walk-in or drive-in rooms. We also work with customers to custom built chambers designed to meet exact test specifications.
To learn more about our products, visit our Chambers overview page or contact a representative today. Our team is highly trained and can help to answer any questions you may have.
Photo by Joey Kyber on Unsplash
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