A week ago the UK announced that they were taking the leap towards greener transportation by approving the e-highway scheme. The move involves taking charge of greener truck transportation by installing overhead wires on motorways to charge trucks. Electric motors are the transportation of the future. They emit significantly less harmful gases into the environment and provide us with an unlimited source of energy.
If you take a single electric car into consideration, the amount of pollutants in the form of harmful CO2 released is 1.5 million grams (EDF) lesser than when compared to a petrol or diesel car. Trucks have a way higher consumption of petrol and diesel, and if motorways and national highways adopt an electric transportation system, it could reduce the amount of air pollution taking place in the UK by a lot.
The need for green transportation has been recognized worldwide with the rising emission of greenhouse gases used in development, infrastructure, transportation, and personal use. The repercussions of using exhaustible resources for energy such as petrol, diesel, and other forms of fossil fuel take a toll on the existing supply, causing a surge in costs, and also have a severe impact on the environment. Oil drills are responsible for destroying ocean beds, the large amount of pollution emitted with industrial usage of exhaustible energy sources have led to a rise in diseases, pollution levels, and lower standard of living.
It is quickly becoming infeasible to use exhaustible sources of energy due to the increasing scarcity of coal, oil and other natural resources. It is also becoming more expensive to use it as a means of transportation. The current surge in petrol prices is the highest since 2013, and now the cost of filling up a standard family van is £10 higher (Sky News) than it was since last November.
Part of the reason why this is happening is the slowdown of the country’s economy due to the pandemic. The other main reason for this is that now that the world is finally, slowly going back to what it was during the pre-pandemic stage, the demand for oil has become higher than ever, causing fuel costs to go up since there is only a limited supply. The increase in air pollution levels is another added negative.
This is why the United Kingdom has joined other countries in the shift to a greener transportation. Places like the United States, Germany and Switzerland have already incorporated this e-Highway scheme and are seeing positive results. The move towards greener transportation is the only way ahead for the world and this adoption will help the country move forward.
Wire to Wire – The Change in Transportation
The nineteenth century saw the rise of trams and trolleys as a means of transportation. They initially had horse-drawn trolleys used to transport goods and eventually people, and towards the end of the century people finally moved on to mechanical trams for transportation. The trolley system was largely used across the USA and Europe as an effective means of transportation for multiple people across short distances within the city limit. They started with steam, moved on to cables, then gas, and eventually were replaced by other modes of transportation such as the subway and buses.
This move of starting e-highways is going back to the roots of mechanical transportation and bringing the most sustainable aspects of the past into the future. The electric truck transportation system being put forward is a lot like the trolley or tram system where large vehicles use power lines and use the electricity transferred through the lines to operate.
What is the eHighway scheme?
The eHighway scheme adopted by the UK will use technology powered by Siemens. The scheme is named after the technology itself. The truck will have an active pantograph, which is a spring loaded pole, that will connect to the wire on the highway to use the electricity to operate. The trucks will also come with batteries installed so that they can also function without the cables for certain amounts of time. The on-board batteries can last up to 50 km when in use.
The trucks will have an in-built hybrid drive system which will allow them to drive without being attached to the wires. Trucks will be able to overtake other vehicles and switch lanes without being connected to the wires. This eliminates some of the biggest issues that come with travelling in a cable-operated vehicle. So far, the distance of the electric cable installed in the UK has been 12.4 miles or 20 km to test out how well it functions. Siemens claims that Germany will be able to install overhead wires for their eHighway system for 300 miles on both sides of the highway every year.
There was an academic study conducted to gauge the adoption rate of the eHighway systems and it claims that the UK government will be able to power most of the highways except those in extremely remote locations by 2030, costing the government £19 billion. The study also states that the government will be able to recover the money spent on this installation in 15 years after it becomes fully operational through taxes on electricity.
Another benefit of this adoption is that the cost of the trucks will become a lot cheaper as compared to the fuel-powered ones in use today. There will be lower maintenance charges and they won’t have to fuel up repeatedly. This should further the inclination for adoption of these cable-powered trucks.
The Future of Green Transportation
There has already been a noticeable increase in the adoption of greener modes of transportation. The number of electric cars sold in the UK in 2019 were at 1.6% of the total number of cars sold, and this number saw a sharp rise in 2020, with more than 6.5% (S&P Global) of all cars sold being electric.
The rapid increase in adoption is due to the change in people’s mindsets itself. People of the UK are noticing the increasing pollution levels over the last few years and want to do their bit to reduce their carbon footprint. The planet’s health is at risk and we are all already getting affected by it. The need for green transportation is being recognized by people at large and it is time that more and more people adopt electric means of transportation. The eHighway scheme adopted by the UK is a big step forward toward green transportation.
Benefits of Going Electric
Using electric means of transportation comes with a lot of benefits, which is why many governments and consumers are opting for electric vehicles. Some of the benefits that come with operating an EV (electric vehicle) are:
- Reduction in consumption of fuel – Fuel usage will drop at an all-time low, which means the cost used to operate vehicles will reduce for users and the current rate at which our natural resources are depleting will reduce as well.
- Electric vehicles are quite easy to recharge and maintain, and can last for long periods of time. Instead of running up to the fuel station to refuel each time, users just have to leave it on charge at their homes when the EV is not in use.
- Since the EVs run on electrically powered engines, it does not have any emissions being released into the air. Zero emission transportation is a necessity to reduce the air pollution levels in the country today, and electrically operated vehicles provide the solution to this growing problem.
- Engine maintenance and other service-related needs get reduced drastically with the use of an EV because most of the car maintenance tasks are those related to their fuel-powered engines. The battery longevity of electric cars is also quite high, and users can go up to 8 to 10 years without having to change it.
- Even though the purchase costs of electric vehicles are higher than the conventional car, the savings in terms of fuel and maintenance more than makes up for the additional initial price. Energy costs are significantly lower than the fuel consumption costs.
- The eHighway scheme adopted by the UK is a great move towards a healthier planet. Once the government gets personally involved in ensuring they provide people with greener alternatives, more people are likely to adopt greener methods.
The world is changing over time, and people are opting for more sustainable options every day to conserve our natural non-renewable resources and reduce the amount of waste and pollution we create. More and more people have also started to invest in greener options in the stock market as well, and they are reaping its benefits. This also proves the fact that people are more than willing to go green and believe in the fact that the future will be green.
ESG consulting services offer multiple options for those who want to take the step forward towards investing in a greener future. The face of transportation is slowly changing, and eHighway powered vehicles are soon going to lead the way.
