Oct 28 2024
Battery swapping in trucking
What is it? And what is its potential? We asked Trailer Dynamics.
The trucking industry operates a wide range of vehicles that carry all types of goods over various distances, from busy urban centres to isolated rural areas. To decarbonise the road transport sector while continuing to deliver efficient services, a wide range of solutions are required.
The IRU Green Compact’s evidence-based approach to decarbonisation leverages two sets of solutions at the same time – efficiency measures and alternative fuels – for the sector to become carbon neutral in the most cost-effective way, maintaining resilience and the ability to meet future demand.
Efficiency measures cover logistics (retiming, route optimisation and eco-trucks), vehicles (tyres, lightweighting and advanced lubrication) and drivers (eco-driving, skills monitoring and certification schemes).
In parallel, the industry needs to be supported by a robust, practical and economic transition to alternative fuels. This means investing now in fossil-free alternative fuels, including electricity, hydrogen and biofuels, as well as the public and private infrastructure, vehicles and operational practices needed to use them.
We asked Michael W. Nimtsch, Co-founder and Managing Director of IRU member Trailer Dynamics, to unpack an emerging solution that touches on both efficiency measures and alternative fuels: battery swapping.
What is battery swapping?
Battery swapping is a system whereby trucks and trailers can replace their depleted batteries with fully charged ones at depots or swapping stations.
Together with DB Schenker and the Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), we are currently conducting a feasibility study for the creation and implementation of battery-swapping stations capable of servicing the future needs of electrified trailers and potentially electrified trucks across Europe.
Why are you exploring battery swapping?
When we talk about technology openness, we can’t limit ourselves to powertrain and energy sources. It’s also vital to explore charging alternatives.
Stationary charging and inductive charging are familiar options, but battery swapping is an emerging technology for electrified road goods transport.
Battery swapping offers several significant advantages. Firstly, it greatly increases the efficiency of electrified fleets. Charging time is reduced from three hours to just five minutes. This remarkable reduction allows for much higher fleet efficiency.
Users benefit from always having a fully charged and well-maintained battery. Additionally, they can choose the battery capacity that suits their operations.
Acquisition costs for vehicles are lowered since battery purchase costs are charged on a pay-per-use basis. Users only pay for what they need.
Moreover, the space required for charging electrified heavy-duty vehicles is significantly reduced compared to traditional stationary charging stations. It also lowers reliance on conventional charging infrastructure.
Overall, these advantages mean that more trucks and trailers are available. Read more
Source: IRU