The Logibat project’s closing event will be held on April 20, 2023, at Log!Ville in Niel. The project aimed to evaluate the current state and future developments of battery-electric trucks, as well as identifying the challenges that must be addressed for a wider roll-out. At the event various models of electric trucks and charging equipment will be showcased, providing attendees with an opportunity to learn more about the latest technologies in the industry.
My contribution to the project was with the research on Electric Road Systems (ERS), important because ERS has the potential to reduce carbon emissions, increase the adoption rate of electric freight vehicles, improve air quality and improve the cost performance of road freight transport.
ERS Symposium 2023
This week I had the opportunity to attend the Electric Road Systems’ Symposium 2023 in Berlin and it was truly an exceptional event. It was packed with valuable sessions and discussions on the latest advancements in ERS, paving the way for a sustainable future.
The quality of the event was top-notch, with a diverse range of expert speakers sharing their expertise and cutting-edge research. I was particularly impressed with the level of engagement and interaction among the attendees.
For me it was an inspiring experience that left me with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the possibilities that lie ahead in the field of sustainable road freight transportation.
Tesla Semi delivery
Truck afficionados, including me, have been wating for this for a long time. It took them 5 years since unvailing. Finally Tesla has delivered its Semi to its first customer PepsiCo.
Subsidised cars in Belgium
Company cars in Belgium are used as a way to save on wage taxes by the companies, because they are taxed differently to the wages. A company car has become a part of a standard salary package, and it has been like that for years. Politicians who want to change that are facing voter backlash, so nothing changes.
A recent article from Forbes about the situation in Belgium reminds this the issue.
Megawatt Charging System
In 2018 CharIN started work on the new megawatt charging system and recently come out with a new standard that is capable to deliver over 1MW of power to heavy duty electric vehicles like trucks, buses, ships, agricultural and industrial machines. The standard uses a new connector that is capable of handling the high current, but the same ISO 15118 communications protocol that the currently popular CCS protocol uses. This video gives an insight:
More information can be found here: https://www.charin.global/technology/mcs/
Railways in Ukraine
I stumbled on a video that might be of interest for railway aficionados.
It shows the state and struggles of railways in Ukraine these days. And underlines the importance of a functioning transport system for the country.
The skyrocketing cost of driving
Lately I hear a lot of whining that fuel prices are skyrocketing, while the largest majority of cars sold still use petrol or diesel.
I think it is time to stop whining and start thinking and acting. FOD Economie have made a nice image to spark thinking.
I have been driving an electric car for the last 7 years and can confirm that it is really much cheaper. By the way, I have managed to reduce the electicity cost for running my car by 75% (compared to what is shown) by installing solar panels on the roof of my house.
Image translation: Cost of driving a car 100km by fuel type, estimation for Q2 2022.
Interview on Kanaal Z
A colleague and I were interviewed by Kanaal Z, a business news channel in Belgium, about our research on catenary trucks.
You can view the video here: https://kanaalz.knack.be/nieuws/zijn-vrachtwagens-met-bovenleiding-de-oplossing/video-normal-1847753.html
Interview on ATV
I was interviewed by ATV for a piece on catenary electric trucks.
You can watch the piece here: https://atv.be/nieuws/rijden-vrachtwagens-binnenkort-zoals-trams-elke-euro-verdien-je-8-keer-terug-135929
Electric car fires – an overblown issue
Lately electric car fires have been on the news a lot. I think the coverage is biased: if we look at statistics from insurance providers in the US, electric cars burn 61 times less often than regular gas cars.
