Which drives and infrastructures will be used in the future?

Research questions

  • What are the user requirements for electric drive concepts and the related infrastructure?
  • Which data capture today’s traffic flows and how can these be used to configure efficient drives and plan infrastructure?
  • Which drive concept (battery-electric, hybrid-electric, H2 fuel cell) has technical, environmental and economic advantages for different purposes?
  • How can technical measures and infrastructure design enable the widespread use of (partially) electric cars and trucks?
  • What influence does expanding charging infrastructure (for example at the workplace) have on the intention to use alternative drives?

Projects

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Electric Truck Charging in Europe (VESUVIO)

The deployment of public charging infrastructure and integration into existing electricity grids remains a significant challenge for truck electrification. VESUVIO (Vehicle Energy Systems Utilizing Visualized Infrastructure Overlays) aims to close this knowledge gap by providing detailed insights into the spatial and temporal charging demand for battery-electric trucks across Europe and evaluating the readiness of regional electricity grids.

Multipoint megAwatt Charging for Battery Electric Truck Hubs (MACBETH)

The MACBETH project will push megawatt charging (MCS) as a game-changing solution to electrify long-haul freight, through developing and showcasing multipoint MCS hubs combined with tools facilitating the scale-up. MACBETH intends to address many of the technical, social, and economic challenges of mass deployment of MCS by setting up two demonstration sites, one in Sweden and one in the Netherlands to address various operational conditions, users’ needs, and business cases.

BWeRoads

BWeRoads is supporting the development of subsidized fast-charging and hydrogen refueling stations for trucks in Baden-Württemberg. Key players (infrastructure operators, logistics companies, energy suppliers) are being involved in the development of the future infrastructure through a demand analysis and extensive interviews.

Alternative drive systems for road maintenance vehicles

Road maintenance services must also contribute to climate protection requirements. As part of the project, the conversion of road maintenance vehicles to alternative drive systems is being simulated and recommendations for action are being derived.

High power charging for trucks in long-distance operation (HoLa)

The project, which is led by Fraunhofer ISI and supported by the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry), is an innovation cluster for climate-friendly truck drive technologies of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. In concrete terms, two high power charging points using the Megawatt Charging System will be installed at each of four locations in the HoLa project and tested under real-life logistics operating conditions. These charging points support the day-to-day application of this new system, and form the basis for widespread expansion of the technology. The project involves 13 partners from research and industry, including four truck manufacturers.  

Charge at work (LamA)

In the LamA project, a total of 480 charging points are being installed at numerous Fraunhofer institutions in Germany within the framework of the German government’s Immediate Action Program for Clean Air (Sofortprogramm “Saubere Luft”). We examine the influence of this new charging infrastructure on the intention to use and attitudes towards e-mobility among Fraunhofer employees as well as local residents and neighboring businesses, and use the results to derive suggestions and actions.

Publications