Premiere for new Swedish elväg – New Technology

Now build another Swedish test elväg. This time in Lund with technology developed at Lund University. The premiere took place during the ongoing Almedalen Week in Visby.

One disadvantage of electric cars is that they require heavy batteries that must be recharged. By drawing electricity from a rail in the way the charge can be operated automatically when the car is running or parked. While the batteries can be made smaller.

– If heavy vehicles should be able to go to electricity is elvägar only option, says Mats Alküla, professor of electrical engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and also a senior adviser in the electro-mobility at AB Volvo.

His research group in Lund participate in the development of a new technique for elvägar shown up for the first time during the current Almedalsveckan.

the charging rail rests directly on the asphalt.

– it differs from other solutions. Since you do not need to dig up the asphalt is easy to install, says project manager and author Dan Zethraeus.

Dan Zethraeus (left) and Mats Alküla from Lund University with a prototype of the new conductive elvägen which will be unveiled during Almedalsveckan. | photographer: Marie Alpman

Another feature is that the bar is constructed of meter segments. The prototype on display in Almedalen consists of a pair of segments and is meant to serve as parking charger.

– But it might as well be a kilometer long and load vehicles on a highway, said Dan Zethraeus.

The various segments are separated from each other and are powered only when a vehicle is above. Contacts takes place with the pantograph on the vehicle’s underside.

The next step is to build a 200 meter long test stretch, near Lund and to be completed in the fall. For the development Energy Agency has shot to 12 million.

The researchers also collaborate with Mariestad who runs a project to electrify the bus and truck traffic. The plan is to build a test road where within two years.

Today, rail delivering 160 kW but later version will be able to provide 240 kW.

The idea is to laddskenorna to be placed in cities, for example, on the streets where many buses pass. They can also be put on the bus and taxi stations.

Previously operated several elvägsprojekt in Sweden. At Arlanda and Volvo ongoing tests elskenor in the way. In May inaugurated the world’s first elväg the E16 outside Gävle. Elvägen is two kilometers long and is equipped with air lines that directly feed electric trucks through the pantograph on the cab roof.

Overhead lines, however, has a major drawback because they are too high to be reached by cars.

– in order to obtain the greatest possible benefit to society, we need to have a solution for all vehicles, says Mats Alküla.

So the question on everyone’s mind, how do you manage the snow?

– we have built a plow which we also tested, said Dan Zethraeus.

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