Germans Turn Famous Autobahn into E-Highway to Recharge Trucks on the Go

Germany’s Environment Ministry along with engineering company Siemens have launched the nation’s first e-Highway earlier this year, powering hybrid trucks in a first step towards transforming to a greener method of goods transportation.

The overhead power lines stretch along 10 kilometers of the Autobahn, Germany’s highway system, where the drivers can connect their trucks to charge their batteries while moving at a speed up to 90 km/h.

Electric trucks are known to run out of electricity quickly and take long to recharge, with not enough recharge stations available. But the program is making way for a sustainable solution that could allow the e-trucks to safely recharge while on the road.

Truck powering transportation could not only cut down carbon emissions and air pollution, but could also save 20,000 euros worth of fuel for every 40-ton truck traveling 100,000 km, according to Siemens.

Similar stretches of electric highways have been built in Sweden and the United States.