Currently, there are a number of very promising alternative powertrain and fuel technologies in heavy-duty road goods transport: Alongside catenary and hydrogen-powered trucks, battery-electric trucks or trucks powered by synthetic fuels could be on our roads in the future. Winfried Hermann, the State Minister of Transport in Baden-Wuerttemberg, emphasizes the importance of researching all the options that help to save emissions: "There is an urgent need to cut CO₂ emissions, especially in road freight transport. Given the continued rise in the volume of freight transport, we need more climate-friendly road transport in addition to rail. Viable alternatives to the dominant diesel trucks are therefore even more important. This is why the eWayBW project plays a pivotal role in this context".

Against this background, Prof. Martin Wietschel from Fraunhofer ISI explains: "As part of the eWayBW project, we recently held a workshop which aimed to show the practical experience gained with catenary trucks in Germany from the test routes, and to discuss the opportunities and challenges of this technology for Alpine countries".

From the perspective of the workshop's participants, it can be assumed that only one of the new technologies will prevail in the future. This is partly due to the limited stock of approx. 200,000 heavy-duty trucks in Germany, but also the limited number of truck suppliers. In addition, high investments are required for research and development (R&D) and for developing production sites and infrastructures. Which of the new technologies will prevail is likely to become clear only in two to four years' time - but solutions for heavy-duty road freight are needed soon in order to meet the EU's and Germany's climate protection targets in road traffic, and because it takes time to construct the infrastructure needed.

Success depends on joint action, standardization and harmonization

At the workshop, the experts agreed that the catenary technology will only be successful if many European countries act together, ideally coordinated by the EU. To ensure its success, it is also decisive that standardization and harmonization take place in good time. In addition, social acceptance of the technology is important for its diffusion: The first field trials in Germany as well as Sweden have shown that residents near a test route should be involved as early as possible. The population should be shown the advantages of catenary technology and any knowledge gaps should be communicated because this could lead to a lack of acceptance.  

Especially in Switzerland and Austria, where rail freight transport traditionally plays a very important role, additional infrastructure expansion aims to shift even more goods away from roads and onto rail. According to the experts from these countries at the workshop, the development of so-called "Alpine corridors" for catenary trucks therefore only plays a minor role in the political debate.   

Lower pollutant emissions and less noise pollution

Even though catenary technology faces a number of problems in Alpine countries due to limited space and challenging construction requirements, it also offers opportunities for particularly positive effects on local pollutant emissions and noise pollution: The confined space as well as the topographical and meteorological conditions in Alpine areas enhance the impact of noise and pollutant emission sources. Trucks with internal combustion engines driving through high Alpine regions cause pollutant concentrations that are up to three times higher compared to the same trucks driving through flat terrain. Catenary trucks could significantly reduce these.

At the workshop, attention was also drawn to the much better environmental footprint of catenary trucks, which is mainly due to the use of renewable energies. Hydropower stations, for instance, make a significant contribution to power generation in Alpine countries. If catenary trucks were to be used there in the future, they could rely on this clean source of electricity.  

eWayBW is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and led by the State Ministry of Transport of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI analyzes the origins and impacts of innovations. We research the short- and long-term developments of innovation processes and the impacts of new technologies and services on society. On this basis, we are able to provide our clients from industry, politics and science with recommendations for action and perspectives for key decisions. Our expertise is founded on our scientific competence as well as an interdisciplinary and systemic research approach.