French transport tech developer Adgero will unveil what it says is the world’s first operational energy-saving, hybrid electric system for road transport at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham next week.
Adgero’s hybrid technology consists of an electrically driven axle mounted under the semi-trailer, powered by a bank of ultra capacitors, and controlled by intelligent management software that automatically controls regenerative braking and acceleration boost.
The regenerative braking-powered UltraBoost ST, a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) installed on a curtain-side semi-trailer aims to cut fuel and carbon emissions by up to 25 per cent.
The UltraBoost ST uses a compact and lightweight YASA motor to recover kinetic energy, otherwise lost as heat during braking, and stores it in high-power graphene-based ultracapacitors from European manufacturer Skeleton Technologies, which helped develop the KERS technology for road haulage with Adgero last year.
Leading European manufacturer SDC Trailers installed the system on a 13.6m curtain-side trailer, finished in the livery of UK-based transport and distribution company, Eddie Stobart. The transport operator will be conducting road testing of Adgero’sUltraBoost ST system in coming weeks.