Zero-emissions alternatives to traditional diesel-powered HGVs are vital if the UK is to achieve its net-zero carbon requirements. In response to this challenge, we led this major feasibility study into Electric Road Systems as a technology to decarbonise freight, focusing in and collaborating with Oxfordshire.
We brought together an expert consortium to address the challenge of proving the UK feasibility and viability of this systems. Our consortium had expertise from the design, build and delivery of railway catenary-power systems.
Overview
Electric Road Systems (ERS) are systems designed to provide electrical energy directly into vehicles as they travel to provide continuous power for propulsion. There are currently three designs for ERS, which have been proposed and trialled to different extents. These are:
- Catenary Systems: ERS powered via powerlines that are elevated overhead.
- Conductive Rails: Conductive rails placed on or within the road.
- Inductive Charging: Inductive coils embedded in the road to transfer energy.
Of the three technologies, Catenary Systems are considered to have the highest technology readiness level as the majority of components have been used in the rail and tram sectors for many years. As a result, the scope of the feasibility study was focused on the relative advantages of the Catenary Systems and their possible applications in the near future.
Studies and trials of such systems have already been carried out in various countries across Europe; one of which led by Siemens and Scania who successfully carried out demonstrations of ERS in Germany, Sweden and the US.
Figure 1: A catenary system being tested on German roads by Scania and Siemens.
City Science Response
Our approach was broken down into the following stages:
- Stakeholder Engagement
Our team collaborated extensively with National Highways, the DfT and the Connected Places Catapult to share knowledge and overcome key technical, governance, legal and planning challenges. We also facilitated thematic stakeholder workshops, complimented by an online survey for stakeholders affected by the proposed system (e.g. national freight operators) to help identify and resolve key concerns.
- Problem Solving
A key constraint was viability on UK roads, not just of the technology, but also how the system performed relative to other technologies.
We drew on our scientific visualisation expertise to explore and represent the sensitivities to different inputs, while also showing key scenarios where the system would outperform other technologies. We used this to prove that overall it was a “low regrets” investment, while being robust with respect to the scaling.
As part of the study, a demonstrator site was proposed to prove the feasibility of the technology. Through an extensive filtering and site assessment process, a 15km stretch of highway on the M40 in Warwickshire was selected. The demonstrator would aim to:
- Propose a quantity of trucks which would match the scale and ambition of each scenario over a period of 5 years.
- Consider the current electric road system infrastructure and the associated trucks that would benefit from such a development.
- Practically demonstrate the costs and the long-term economic viability of the system.
Figure 2: Visualisation of the Site Assessment Study Area
Outcome
This innovative project made a major contribution to the industry’s understanding of freight-decarbonisation technologies, providing essential evidence to inform a national demonstrator, informing the DfT’s longer-term strategies to decarbonise freight. The study showed that catenary systems are feasible and, once delivered at sufficient scale to serve 40,000 trucks are more cost-effective than battery and hydrogen alternatives.
The study has also confirmed that the construction and delivery of a demonstrator in the UK, and subsequent national roll-out, is feasible. Specific guidance was given for the critical ‘next steps’ to be taken in the aim to decarbonise road freight vehicles through ERS, including the need for targeted governance and management at regional and national levels.