Ushering in a new era of greener transportation, Sweden has just opened a two-kilometer electric road that uses overhead electricity cables to power connected buses and trucks. The test strip in the city of Sandviken is essentially a light rail system for trucking, with an overhead cable meant to power heavier vehicles. Specially designed trucks and transports will connect to the cables, deriving energy from above while on the electric road, then switch to biofuels for the rest of the trip.
"Electric roads will bring us one step closer to fossil fuel-free transports, and has the potential to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions," explained Swedish Transport Administration Director General Lena Erixon. "This is one way of developing environmentally smart transports in the existing road network. It could be a good supplement to today’s road and rail network."
Sweden is one of the world’s first countries to explore the use of an electric road system for hauling. This technology is just one of many concepts the government hopes can help fulfill the country’s ambition to run free of fossil fuels by 2030. Researchers plan on testing the viability of the system through 2018.
Sweden opens one of the world’s first electric roads [Inhabitat]
The Tesla of Garbage Trucks Wants to Make City Buses More Sustainable [Curbed]
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