(The Board of the SCAQMD had originally awarded a contract to Siemens for the overhead catenary project at the April 2013 Board meeting—but contingent upon receiving up to $8,000,000 from the ports and other entities. Delays by the ports in providing the funds were putting the project funding from other entities at risk, so earlier this year, the board removed the contingency and authorized executing a contract with Siemens in an amount not to exceed $13,500,000.)

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are seeking an emission-free solution (“Zero Emission I-710 Project”) for a section of Highway 710, which carries a high proportion of shuttle truck traffic. The 30-kilometer (18.6-mile) route links the two ocean ports and the railroad transshipment centers inland.

As part of the installation of the eHighway systems, two lanes of Alameda Street in the city of Carson, California, are being electrified via a catenary system.

On the road, E-trucks equipped with hybrid drive and smart current collectors will be supplied with electricity from catenaries, offering local zero-emission operation. In conjunction with vehicle manufacturer Mack, a member of the Volvo Group, and local truck conversion specialists, Siemens is developing up to four demonstration vehicles.

The smart current collectors permit overtaking maneuvers and automatic hook-up and disconnection at speeds up to 90 km/h (56 mph). On normal roads without overhead lines the vehicles make use of a hybrid system which can be operated alternatively with diesel, compressed natural gas or via a battery.

Top: Siemens has developed an actively moveable pantograph. This enables automatic connection to/disconnection from the overhead contact line at speeds of up to 90 km/h and also automatic compensation of all vehicle movements within the electrified lane. Depending on the operation mode, the pantographs can be raised or lowered automatically or even manually at the touch of a button and enable full vehicle flexibility in comparison with trolley buses or hybrid trucks in open-cast mining. Bottom: The trucks are always driven by an electric motor. On electrified routes, the electric motor takes its power from an overhead contact line. The pantograph transmits the power from the overhead contact line to the HGV’s drive system. The HGV is also equipped with an engine for non-electrified routes. This engine drives an onboard generator which in turn generates the power required to drive the electric motor. When overtaking other vehicles or operating on non-electrified routes, the vehicle can change over to conventional diesel engine operation or operation on an energy storage system. Click to enlarge.

Our highway technology eliminates local emissions and is an economically attractive solution for freight transport on shuttle truck routes. Long Beach and Los Angeles, the two US ports generating the most traffic, can benefit hugely from our technology.

—Matthias Schlelein, head of Siemens Division Mobility and Logistics in the US