"Digital solutions that ensure efficiency and planning reliability can significantly advance electromobility in the commercial vehicle sector and increase the acceptance of alternative drive concepts among logistics companies and freight forwarders," says PEM Director Professor Achim Kampker. Until now, the non-transparent availability of charging and refueling options in the transport industry has led to concerns about detours and long waiting times. Since the range of today's electric and fuel cell trucks is between 200 and 500 kilometers, real-time information on the charging and refueling infrastructure along the routes is indispensable - "especially since the network of filling stations for hydrogen and liquefied natural gas is still very limited throughout Germany and access to e-charging stations is often difficult to plan," says Kampker.

The aim: to simplify the switch to alternatively powered heavy goods vehicles

"DRivE" stands for "Data-based route planning in road freight transport with various energy supply technologies". The research project will run until the end of 2024 and will focus on how companies in the logistics sector can use digital assistance to facilitate the switch to environmentally friendly heavy goods vehicles in long-distance transport. In addition to the PEM Chair, the project partners include the Research Institute for Rationalization (FIR) e. V. at RWTH Aachen University, the companies Park Your Truck, ZeKju, Mansio, Hammer Road Cargo and Maintrans Internationale Spedition.

Planning using digital networking increases confidence in alternative drives

However, the "DRivE" project has already shown that the planning of refuelling and charging points in scheduling with the help of digitalized networking increases confidence in alternatively powered trucks. The tested algorithm should guarantee safe route planning in the future when using commercial vehicles with battery, hydrogen or liquefied natural gas (LNG) drives. During the eight-week test phase under real conditions, it was gradually optimized. Following the successful demonstration of the functionality of the route planning system, which was developed by the start-up and project initiator Mansio, the focus is now on standardization processes for the so-called fleet management interface. Together with the project partner "Park Your Truck" from Dessau-Roßlau, there are also plans to implement an option for the digital reservation of loading bays in the software.

Regina Schrank, Head of Service Management, FIR at RWTH Aachen University, comments: "The challenges of decarbonizing logistics can only be solved together. As a consortium, we are delighted to be sending out a strong signal and, with 'DRivE', providing an important building block for strengthening alternative drive technologies in long-distance transport."