FAQ
Everything about the overhead line
A summary of the most frequently asked questions. Is there anything you are missing? Contact us!
FAQ
Everything about the overhead line
A summary of the most frequently asked questions. Is there anything you are missing? Contact us!
How does a catenary truck work?
A truck with diesel-hybrid or battery-electric drive, which is equipped with a pantograph (current collector), can supply its electric motor via an overhead line while driving and charge its battery at the same time. For this purpose, the pantograph makes contact with the two contact wires (positive and negative pole) of the overhead line and can therefore charge with minimum losses. If the overhead line ends or the truck leaves the right lane (e.g. for overtaking), the pantograph is retracted and the powertrain is supplied from the battery.
Why is the use of catenary trucks necessary/beneficial in addition to rail freight transport?
Since the 19th century, overhead contact line systems have already been used to make rail transport environmentally friendly. However, road freight transport still mainly uses diesel, making freight transport responsible for more than 35% of mobility-related emissions. Since it is not possible to shift all transport entirely to rail due to capacity constraints and lack of rail connections, environmentally friendly alternatives are needed here as well. Overhead contact line systems offer a proven solution, as the electricity can come from up to 100% renewable sources.
The overhead contact line system thus represents a contribution to the electrification of mobility in order to make road freight transport more environmentally friendly.
Why does an overhead line also make sense for battery electric vehicles?
Heavy commercial vehicles in long-distance freight transport require large batteries with currently more than 600 kWh energy content for an acceptable range. Power
supply while driving enables a reduction of this battery size, as the battery is only needed for shorter distances away from the overhead line, for example for sections
between the motorway and the logistics centre. There is already a shortage of parking spaces for trucks at motorway service stations. As additional space is required for
the installation of charging points, the number of available parking spaces would be further reduced. As the overhead line allows charging while driving, the driver is more
flexible in choosing a parking space.
Should all motorways be equipped with overhead lines in the future?
Various scientific studies have come to the conclusion that with overhead lines on about 30 % of the German motorway network, roughly 80 % of heavy trucks could
already drive with pantographs. This would primarily involve equipping heavily frequented routes. The scope is 3,200 to 4,000 kilometres.¹
¹ StratON – Bewertung und Einführungsstrategien für oberleitungsgebundene schwere Nutzfahrzeuge, final report, 2020
Does the overhead line come with any dangers?
In order to avoid collisions with the masts placed on the carriageway, crash barriers of the highest protection class are installed. The established protective measures of rail
transport can be adopted against hazards emanating from the electric current. The electromagnetic fields generated are not hazardous to health and are weaker than those
of trams, for example. The emissions are far below the permissible limit and guideline values. The probability of a line break is also very low. Should this still occur, a
special protective mechanism ensures that the current is switched off immediately. In addition, the design of the overhead contact line system prevents a broken contact
wire from reaching into the traffic area. This means that other road users can also drive underneath the overhead line without any problems, so that no restrictions in the
use of traffic space are to be expected.
