Using Models and simulation for concept analysis of Electric Roads

Abstract

AbstractUsing electricity to directly power moving vehicles has been used for a long time as evidenced by trains, trams, and electrical buses. Providing electricity to move heavy transport trucks on roads Therefore does not represent a huge innovation. Since heavy haulage traffic on roads represents a significant part of carbon dioxide emissions, electric roads (ERs) that can provide engine power to heavy road haulage is seen as significant by the Swedish government (Bateman et al, 2018SP04EN). Several Swedish government authorities as well as private companies are actively testing equipment both for trucks as well as roads. Once they have been deployed, ERs will also provide benefits as regards air quality and traffic noise. This paper describes a concept analysis project that uses models and simulation to analyze electric road scenarios. Electric road enabled trucks of different types run along an electric road and are subjected to different road conditions, speed restrictions as well as queues over a defined amount of time. The ability to analyze both management and energy consumption of an electric road is of paramount importance in determining its ability to accomplish the desired carbon‐dioxide emission reductions.