Might it be that one of the solutions to make Swedish transports fossil free is already in Lund? Inventor Dan Zethraeus together with LTH have devised an idea to charge electric vehicles while driving and their solution with short electric rails attached to the roads works especially well in urban traffic.
The new climate law entails decreasing emissions from domestic transports drastically until 2030; by 2045 this number is supposed to be down to zero. Trafikverkets assessment of electric roads is that they “can be a complement to tomorrow’s fossil free transport systems”. Currently, two solutions for heavy traffic are already being tested by Trafikverket positioned outside of Sandviken and Arlanda. Now they’re looking to initiate further attempts onto the field, with the aim of broadening the understanding of how electric roads could function. In regards to this, there’s a grown expectation to garner support from Trafikverket for a testbed in Lund.
Together with Kraftringen, Coman buses, Energimyndigheten and LTH, Dan Zethraeus and his company Elonroad have already constructed a testbed of about hundred meters of electric road at the Kraftringen site in Örtofta. The electric road from Elonroad differs from the other aforementioned roads in Sweden by having the rails considerably shorter and only energized directly beneath the vehicles. This type of electric roads are therefore from a safety-perspective suitable for use in urban traffic. The city buses and other electric vehicles could potentially be charged and tested in a real environment in the center of Lund.
That was the brief when representatives from Lund municipality, Lunds University, VTI, Rise, Innovation Skåne, Kraftringen, Faculty of Engineering LTH, Skånetrafiken and Ramböll was summoned to an introductory meeting with Elonroad at offices of Future By Lund at Skomakaregatan. To write an application for a testbed in Lund and for Lund to be in question as such, meant the convening of many actors in the application an important aspect to have right from the get-go.
- It’s exciting that we’ve managed to gather such a force that are willing to go in the same direction regarding the electric road, says Per Löfberg from Future By Lund. Now it’s all about agreeing on a joint vision and develop a solid consortium.
Per Löfberg has no doubts that the electric road can play a decisive role for the fossil free transports of the future.
- When it comes to creating a positive future for all of us, electric roads are one of the most interesting things you can be working with. It’s an important mission for the group to devise a great application.
The application to Trafikverket has a deadline on the 4th of june in 2018.
In the picture: Per Löfberg (Future by Lund), Arne Nåbo (VTI), Joakim Nelson (Innovation Skåne), Patrik Rydén (Lunds Universitet), Fredrik Luthman (Kraftringen), Mats Alakula (LTH), Johan Gomér (Skånetrafiken), Dan Zethraeus (Elonroad), Håkan Skarrie (Kraftringen) Peter Kisch (Future by Lund), Lars Brümmer (Ramböll), Conny Börjesson (Rise), Lars Tilly (Innovation Skåne).
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