High Capacity Vehicles with ELectrically PropellEd Dolly (HELPED)

Research Project, 2021 – 2023

This project addresses the problem of CO2 emissions and energy consumption. High Capacity Transport, HCT, long road vehicles show large energy savings, 10-30% and reduction of Total Cost of Ownership up to 30%. Hence, HCTs are allowed in more and more countries. However, towing units intended for HCTs will be over-powered if they are used in non-HCTs. The proposed solution can be described as scaling the propulsion for HCTs. The envisioned solution is to add electric propulsion on (converter) dollies. The dollies are "logistically strategic" units in combination vehicles. Such solution will work both with diesel or electrically propelled towing units (trucks or tractors). Previous research, shows that an electrically propelled dolly enables additionally 10-20% energy savings for an HCT vehicle with diesel-propelled towing unit.
The following aspects are important to well utilize electrically propelled dollies and will be studied in the project.
• The vehicle energy management needs to be predictive, typically over 1-10 km ahead.
• The control actions must be distributed over the units and axles in the HCT, requiring an addition to today’s signal interface. Both safety and energy saving must be considered, by distribution of propulsion and braking between axles on multiple articulated units, which affects lateral stability.
• An input to how the approval of HCT, based on Performance Based Standards, PBS, and Vecto, is needed to include electrically propelled dollies.
The project outputs development and test methods, using both real vehicles and simulation, for the vehicle industry to offer world-leading transport solutions (system solutions) with electrically driven dollies, with a possible production start 2025-2030, especially for interface standards.