At the IKEM Annual Conference on October 19, renowned experts presented their climate protection strategies for road freight transport. The presentations and subsequent discussions highlighted the challenges currently facing the industry and the urgent need for clear guidance and support from policymakers.
“On the one hand, road freight transport is the backbone of our economy, and on the other hand, it is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in transport. One thing is certain: the sector must take major steps towards decarbonisation in the coming years – this is the only way to ensure that the statutory climate protection targets remain achievable,” says IKEM Director Prof. Dr. Michael Rodi, explaining the motivation for making this very topic the focus of the Annual Conference.
One possible decarbonisation option for heavy freight transportation are Electric Road Systems (ERS), which are infrastructures such as overhead lines or inductive charging technologies that can be used to power electric vehicles while they are on the road.
IKEM is conducting research on these technologies in the AMELIE II project, among others. Project leader Giverny Knezevic presented a vision for the introduction of ERS at the Annual Conference: “In order for ERS to be used on a large scale, suitable framework conditions must be created at national and European level. This includes appropriate competition regulation as well as start-up funding for infrastructure development.”
“Whether and to what extent highways will be equipped with overhead lines in the future remains unclear. However, it became obvious at the Annual Conference that the trend towards the electrification of roads is continuing and that Electric Road Systems can be a significant addition to stationary charging services,” adds IKEM Managing Director Susan Wilms.
“The presentations and discussions at our Annual Conference made it clear: The logistics industry is under pressure in view of the CO2 pricing for tolls and fuels and expects clear guidelines from politicians. The German government must make a bold path decision for a technology or technology mix as soon as possible.”
Speakers at IKEM’s annual conference included:
- Giverny Knezevic (IKEM)
- Prof. Dr. Meike Jipp (DLR)
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Lehmann (University of Applied Sciences Erfurt)
- Prof. Dr. Matthias Knauff (University of Jena)
- Alexander Thal (NOW GmbH)
- Andrea Schoen (smart freight centre)
