Scania tests truck trailer with solar panels | Automotive Industry News

Energy savings could be approaching 20% in sunny climates

Energy price savings could be approaching twenty% in sunny climates

In a investigation partnership, Scania says it will establish a photo voltaic cell clad trailer to electric power a plug-in hybrid truck. Initial exams indicate attainable fuel price savings of 5–10 % in Sweden and 2 times that volume in sunnier southern Spain.

“Solar cells have previously been employed on boats and caravans but then only to electric power auxiliaries this kind of as refrigerators and cookers and not the genuine powertrain,” says Eric Falkgrim, Technology Leader in Motor vehicle Structure at Scania R&D.

The truck will be operated in daily transport assignments by the Swedish haulier Ernst Express, which also collaborated with Scania in trials of the world’s 1st electric powered street with overhead catenary strains. Ernst Express will run an 18-metre prolonged photo voltaic cell clad trailer with a overall space alongside the sides and roof of 140 square metres. In overall, the photo voltaic panels are anticipated in Sweden to yearly crank out 14,000 kWh.

The investigation undertaking will also look at no matter whether the trailer can feed energy into the grid when the batteries are totally billed and the truck is parked, for instance, more than weekends.

Fuel price savings up to ten % in Sweden

In a pre-study, operations in mid-Sweden ended up simulated reaching a possible fuel saving of 5–10 %. In Sweden, there is plenty of sunlight from spring to autumn to crank out strength and whilst the sunlight is weak besides through summer, there are more hrs of sunlight. Throughout the relaxation of the calendar year , there is inadequate sunlight in Sweden. By distinction, southern Spain has eighty % more hrs of sunlight, Scania said.

The undertaking is publicly funded the Swedish government’s innovation agency Vinnova and aside from Scania and Ernst Express also engages Midsummer that manufactures the photo voltaic panels, Uppsala College, which conducts highly developed investigation on more efficient photo voltaic cells, and the Dalakraft strength corporation.