As the U.S. policy and political debate continues over the recent Congressional revocation of the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) ACT and CARB's Omnibus regulations, overseas markets continue to make progress towards zero-emission commercial trucking.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has launched a new initiative called MACBETH (Multipoint megAwatt Charging for Battery Electric Truck Hubs).
Its goal is to establish viable and comprehensive European commercial truck charging network by 2030. And yes, this includes heavy-duty vehicles.
How does VTT aim to accomplish this?
It all starts with funding which, in this case, is coming from the European Commission with an initial budget of 10 million Euros. Clearly that's nowhere near enough to actually build a network but it's a start for R&D purposes. The funding is intended to last from this past February until January 2029.
VTT's announcement made no mention of where and how future funding will be sought.
The project's goal is to "develop and demonstrate cutting edge solutions for megawatt charging systems (MCS) in multi-user charging hubs."
As previously reported, MCS is critical for the widespread deployment and success of HD EV commercial rigs, specifically the upcoming Tesla Semi and Windrose R700. U.S.-based charging depots, such as Zeem Solutions' LAX depot, are keen to get these rapid charging systems up and running.
[Related: Windrose R700 completes 578-mile route validation]
VTT says its strategic objective is to establish a "robust and efficient" European charging network capable of supporting the widespread adoption of EV commercial vehicles.
"To create a functional charging infrastructure, we need to investigate many aspects, including various charging hub designs, hardware systems, plug standards, safety-enabling robot technologies, as well as practical experiences of logistics companies in operating electric trucks. The project will also explore new business models for charging infrastructure," said Yancho Todorov, senior scientist and coordinator of the project at VTT.
Yancho Todorov, Senior Scientist and coordinator of the project at VTT.VTT
Project planners are currently aiming to get two large-scale demonstration pilot tests underway with hybrid charging stations being used to power medium- and heavy-duty rigs and private vehicles. Additional research into the charging hub design, safety, and operational efficiency is also on the docket.
Finland's Kempower, a designer and manufacturer of fast-charging solutions, is already on board as one of the project planners.
Netherlands-based Rocsys is also playing a role by developing and testing a robotic charging arm capable of completing normally driver-assigned tasks, specifically charging, to help increase safety.
