Trucks Use Overhead Wires to Act More Like Trolleys

May 21st, 2012 by Zachary Shahan

We covered this in our clean transportation roundup last Friday, but I know a lot of people don’t read those roundups (I don’t know why exactly, but I’m actually the same way), so after seeing that Gas2 covered this cool story in more detail, I decided I’d give it more eyes with a quick repost — here you go:

Trucks Borrow Trolley Idea, Link Up With Overhead Power Lines (via Gas 2.0)

A hundred years ago, most major cities relied on trains and electric trolleys to move most of their citizenry around. These days cars and trucks rule the roads of America, although an old idea might soon find a modern application. I am talking about overhead trolley power lines electrifying hybrid…

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Tags: eHighway, electric trucks, Siemens, siemens ehighway, siemens electric trucks

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan

from another reader via email:

An interesting article, but I am curious why they would choose to pursue overhead lines when they are considered unsightly, and require substantial infrastructure added to roadways. Perhaps it is to get past the limited overhead that is being considered for buses (frequent stops) in cities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hME6du52q6M

Overhead lines have also traditionally been used with rail systems that help to keep the pantograph on the lines. They are contrasted with trolley poles used on trolley buses. It is unclear from the article how this is accomplished by the trucks. see: http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/14/a-desire-named-streetcars/

Also curious that you characterize wireless energy transfer as “some wacky unproven technology” when the very same company has also been pursuing that technology for over a year: http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2011/04/siemens-and-bmv-unveil-wireless-ev.html The efficiency can be as high as 97% energy transfer, no towers are required and the equipment is safe from vandals, accidents and weather.
- Bob_Wallace
  
  I’m pretty sure that neither the San Francisco or Quito, Ecuador ‘overhead electric’ buses are on tracks, but use rubber tires.
  
  Trucks, like those vehicles would have to stay underneath or no more than one lane to the side of the overhead wires.
  
  (The Quito buses/trolleys also have fuel motors and are able to operate away from the overhead wires.)
  
  Stationary wireless charging has been shown to be efficient, but the space between sender and receiver is quite small. This might be a bit hard to maintain at highway speeds.
Hope

Technically a good idea, but creates a diversified infrastructure for EV, when to really push EV will require a unified front I.e: charging station/battery swapping stations.
Bill R. WASHBURN

Can you imagine how much quieter cities would be?!?

And don’t you just hate it when you have a good idea and then you read about it in the news?