Bosch is taking cues from the on-going electric revolution in the automotive industry to improve the cargo transportation market. Instead of letting semi-trailer’s axles roll freely as they are done today, Bosch is planning to integrate an electrical machine into the axles, throw in a battery pack and generate electricity through regenerative braking.
The added benefits: Having an electric motor/power train attached to the trailer will facilitate remote-controlled electric driving, similar to some luxury passenger cars. This also makes automated parking possible.
Cooling units powered by electric motors make less noise than their Diesel counterparts. Making them a better fit in urban environments
Great for Bosch: “Bosch offers this technology either for new trailers or as a retrofit solution. The potential demand is huge. In Europe alone, roughly a quarter of a million trailers with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10 metric tons are newly registered every year. One in five of these is equipped with a refrigeration unit.”
The Savings: According to Bosch, in the case of a refrigerated trailer, the savings can be as much as 10,000 euros a year. If the cooling unit is operated using the power generated in this way, Bosch calculates that it can save up to 9,000 liters of diesel a year.
The Payback: Bosch says that the system will pay back investment after two years of operation.
Great Fit for refrigerated trucks that deliver food in in urban areas.
“Bosch is making trucks’ rear axles electric and smart. Our electrification solution for trucks makes economic sense and shows how electromobility can work even in today’s trucks.”
