2024-08-30 13:00:00
More electric terminals, for more electric cars. The State is banking on the multiplication of these infrastructures in order to encourage the energy transition. But the start-up Evias intends to make this approach obsolete. Because recharging a bus, a utility vehicle or an electric truck while driving is now possible thanks to the technology of this French Tech, deployed this Friday, August 30 on a pilot site of the University of Troyes (Aube), for an investment of three million euros, including one million for the group’s new technical center.
The objective displayed by Evias: “To offer a simple, competitive and available solution for electrifying heavy transport”, summarizes the company. And all this, “without any modification to the vehicle“, explains Olivier Besson, its co-founder and CEO, to L’Usine Nouvelle. At first glance, the mechanism developed is reminiscent of a tram or a bumper car with a pantograph.
Five minutes to reload a truck
In reality, this system is much more sophisticated and required the filing of 120 patents. A contact arm, fixed under the vehicle via an on-board box, slides into a rail embedded in the roadway, allowing the battery to be recharged by conduction in motion, at a maximum speed of 90 to 100 km/h. Compatible with all manufacturers and adaptable to any type of road, this system detects the presence of the electric rail and activates the power supply to the corresponding section. The current transfer is done using integrated electrodes. When the vehicle leaves the section, the collector retracts into the box.
«We have a charging capacity of one megawatt hour, one of the most powerful on the market. In five minutes, we can charge a vehicle“, says Evias management. An automatic rail drainage and cleaning system reduces failures and only requires inspection every ten years.
Long-term cost reduction
Despite some uncertainties, such as the lack of comprehensive impact studies and concerns about battery radiation, the successful test phases in Sweden make its management optimistic.Our technology overcomes the physical constraints holding back the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles, such as the size and weight of batteries, which we can reduce by up to 60% compared to current standards. It allows freight to remain in constant motion while reducing time and costs.“, anticipates Olivier Besson.
Its deployment is estimated at around one million euros per kilometre, with the need to equip only one fifth of the roads. With the expected rise of autonomous vehicles, this technology would allow road freight transport to become a serious competitor to container ships, while contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions, which represent, according to the OECD, 44% of CO2 emissions from the freight sector.
Adrien Guillaume Padovan
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