LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siemens today announced its 'eHighway of the Future' concept at the 26th Annual Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles. The eHighway concept is the electrification of trucks and select highway lanes via overhead electrified wires similar to how modern day trolleys or streetcars are powered on many city streets. The eHighway solution is an environmentally friendly, sustainable and efficient solution for today's truck transport. It will use less fossil fuels, substantially reduce CO2 emissions, reduce pollutant load in residential and agricultural areas, and, most importantly, will be very easy to integrate into existing highways and infrastructures.
See video from Siemens at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/siemens/ehighway/
"When most people think of vehicle emissions, they assume cars
do most of the damage, but it's actually commercial trucks that are
largely to blame," says Daryl Dulaney, CEO, Siemens Infrastructure
& Cities, United States. "Freight transportation on U.S.
roadways is expected to double by 2050, while global oil resources
continue to deplete. And by 2030, carbon dioxide emissions are
forecasted to jump 30 percent due to freight transport
alone."
Siemens has developed the supporting technology necessary to make
the eHighway a reality: infrastructure, software, hardware and
drives. This technology compliments Siemens' extensive ELFA
portfolio of the complete hybrid drive system. The ELFA traction
hybrid drive systems enable personal and commercial vehicles to
save over 30 percent in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Essentially, all that is needed is a hybrid diesel electric freight
truck with built-in technology and software to connect to overhead
electrified wires. The trucks are designed to use both electricity
and diesel power and will automatically switch to electric mode
when they detect and attach to the overhead lines. Once the truck
leaves the lines, it switches back to diesel. As the technology
becomes more widely adopted, the company believes every truck
equipped with an electric drive system will be able to use the
eHighway regardless if it's a diesel electric, pure battery, fuel
cell range extended or CNG combustion engine vehicle.
"It's really about creating a more sustainable environment,"
Dulaney says. "Already more and more consumers are driving electric
and hybrid vehicles. If we can get the commercial freight industry
to come on board, we'll decrease emissions dramatically and improve
sustainability."
Currently being tested in Germany, pilot projects are already being
planned for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to connect to
cargo centers. The technology also can also be expanded to allow
trucks to travel through densely populated cities.
About Siemens
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global
powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in
the industry, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and cities
sectors. For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation
for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products,
services and solutions. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of
around $20 billion and employs approximately 60,000 people
throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. For more information on
Siemens in the United States, visit www.usa.siemens.com.