Pilot Phase of the Research Project ‘DRivE’ Completed

The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen has successfully completed the pilot phase of the research project ‘DRivE’, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, in collaboration with numerous partners. In a two-month field trial, two higher education institutions and five industry players tested a specially developed software designed to enable reliable route planning in transportation by providing real-time information on current ranges and available charging points for trucks with alternative drives.

(Aachen) “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 opaque availability of charging and refueling options in the transport sector 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 about charging and refueling infrastructure along routes is indispensable – “especially since the network of hydrogen and liquefied natural gas filling stations is still very limited across Germany and access to electric charging stations is often poorly planned,” says Kampker.

Planning of Refueling and Charging Points

The ‘DRivE’ project has already demonstrated that planning refueling and charging points in logistics using digitized networking increases trust in alternatively powered trucks. During the eight-week test phase under real conditions, the algorithm that will ensure safe route planning for commercial vehicles powered by battery, hydrogen, or liquefied natural gas (LNG) was gradually optimized. Following the successful demonstration of the functionality of the route planning system developed by the Aachen start-up company and project initiator MANSIO, the focus is now on standardization processes for the so-called fleet management interface. Additionally, there are plans to implement an option for digital reservation of charging spaces in the software in collaboration with the project partner ‘Park Your Truck’ from Dessau-Roßlau.

‘”DRivE” stands for ‘Data-Based Route Planning in Road Freight Transport with Various Energy Supply Technologies’ and will continue until the end of 2024 to address how companies in the logistics sector can be supported in transitioning to environmentally friendly heavy-duty trucks in long-distance transport with digital assistance. Project partners include the PEM chair, the Research Institute for Rationalization (FIR) at RWTH Aachen, Park Your Truck GmbH, ZeKju GmbH, MANSIO GmbH, ‘Hammer Road Cargo’, and ‘Maintrans Internationale Spedition’.

Comments from Project Partners

Regina Schrank, Head of Service Management, FIR at RWTH Aachen: “The challenges of decarbonizing logistics can only be solved together. We are very pleased to set a strong signal as a consortium and to provide an important building block for strengthening alternative drive technologies in long-distance transport with ‘DRivE’.”

Dr. Maik Schürmeyer, Founder and CEO of MANSIO GmbH, Aachen: “Alternative drives in long-distance truck transport – whether electric, fuel cell, or LNG – can and must be deployed at scale to achieve climate goals. ‘DRivE’ has provided an excellent project environment for business and research. Together, we have achieved outstanding results and integrated a resilient routing algorithm into our platform.”

Thorsten Stuke, Co-Founder of ZeKju GmbH, Augsburg: “It is a significant challenge to combine charging processes with driving and rest times as well as planned charging stops. Without a reliable data flow and simple communication with the driver, this is not feasible.”

Denise Schuster, Founder and CEO of Park Your Truck GmbH, Dessau-Roßlau: “Range anxiety is the new concern of electric truck drivers, who are already affected by their daily search for parking. Reservable truck parking spaces and charging stations provide relief here.”

Nico Troiano, Operations Manager, Maintrans Internationale Spedition GmbH, Langenselbold: “Participating in the DRivE project has shown us how digital route planning can improve efficiency and sustainability in heavy-duty transport. By optimizing the integration of charging and refueling stations into our transport processes, we can reliably and environmentally friendly deploy our fleet with alternative drives.”

Stefan Küpper, Managing Director of Hammer Road Cargo GmbH & Co. KG, Aachen: “With projects like ‘DRivE’, we are actively working to make freight transport more diverse, efficient, and environmentally friendly. The latest developments clearly show that alternative drive types can play a significant role in the future of transport.”

Further information here:
https://t1p.de/dtii4 and https://t1p.de/byg0k

Photo: © PEM RWTH Aachen | Patrizia Cacciotti