Freight Forward: DSV to supply research data for Germany’s eHighway

Electric freight transportation soon might be more than a concept. Freight forwarder DSV has volunteered to supply and test the data from Frankfurt’s newest electric highway for cargo transport. The 10-kilometer (about 6.21-mile) eHighway, dubbed “ELISA,” is backed by the German government with a $15.5 million investment. It is constructed along the regional centers of Frankfurt and Darmstadt in the Rhine-Main metropolitan area — with a route straight into Frankfurt Airport (FRA). [caption id="attachment_96998" align="alignright" width="361"] (Photo: DSV)[/caption] DSV plans to supply data about its functionality. “ At DSV , we are using the eHighway to electrify our shuttle between Frankfurt Airport and our depot, a route on which our truck drives multiple times every day,” Mischa Bouzaglo, senior communication consultant for Denmark-based DSV, told Air Cargo Next . “The location of the test track works perfectly for this route. If the eHighway ends up being extended to a larger scale, there would be potential to use it for all shuttles.” The highway is planned to stretch 17 kilometers (about 10.56 miles). If successful, this means air cargo carriers could see faster onload and offload times, making cargo transport more eco-friendly and more efficient overall, DSV officials said. This is not dissimilar to Zurich Airport's (ZRH) partnership with Cargo Sous Terrain, a collaborative project to develop an underground tunnel for electric freight transport. Both projects promote sustainability as a key ingredient to the future of the air cargo industry. Fraport to operate CO2-free by 2045 “The aviation industry has to make a strong contribution to protecting our global climate,” Maria Linden, spokesperson for Fraport, told Air Cargo Next . “As an airport operator, we take our responsibility very seriously in this regard. We want to operate CO2-free by 2045. We therefore welcome any initiative that also pays towards reducing CO2 emissions.” Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety has supplied the initial five trucks that will travel the highway, per the ELISA project’s official website. Each truck works by connecting to a series of overhead cables loaded with sensors, charging as it carries heavy freight into the airport. DSV sees the project as the right move forward in cargo transport. “It is difficult to estimate the potential impact for the air freight industry in isolation, but there is no doubt that a successful implementation and extension of the eHighway could have a large impact on the electrification of road transportation,” Bouzaglo said. Another crucial benefit of the electric highway would be a cut in delays and innovation on long-distance cargo transport. “Without the right levels of infrastructure, there is a danger that charging stations will be the Suez Canal of road transportation and the cause of significant delays and congestion for electric vehicles,” said Soren Schmidt, chief executive of DSV’s Road Division, in a news release. “If the eHighway is established and expanded across Europe, it would create new possibilities when it comes to introducing long-distance electric trucks and offer lower-emission services without any delays for our customers,” Schmidt said in a press release. ”We see it as our responsibility to contribute to the early stages of the development of new technologies such as the eHighway.” Construction of the ELISA highway began in 2018 and was completed to 10 kilometers by the year’s end. There is not a time frame for when the highway will be extended or operational for multiple freight forwarders.

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