IRU-POLIS Webinar #3: The future of energy infrastructure

The third and last iteration of the IRU-POLIS webinar series will take place on 16 April 2024 from 15:00-16:30 and will shed light on the challenges related to energy infrastructure of long-haul zero-emission freight vehicles. The 90-min long webinar, which will be moderated by IRU, will feature the two EU-funded projects of ZEFES and ESCALATE. Both projects are currently planning long distance tests of battery-electric, hydrogen- and hybrid trucks in various European countries.

What to expect?

The road freight transport sector is facing significant challenges to decarbonise and to reach the EU climate targets, especially as zero-emission drivetrain technologies and batteries currently have its limitations. EU-projects like ZEFES and ESCALATE pave the way through large-scale vehicle testing.

Beyond the specificities of the vehicle itself, such as the battery, thermal unit, drivetrain and other components, the creation of an efficient infrastructure is another significant task that requires cross-border cooperation and a dense network of high-speed charging- and refueling infrastructure. Thus, the following questions will be discussed after a brief introduction of the two projects:

• How to create a common energy infrastructure network that caters zero-emission vehicles across the entire logistics chain?
• How cities, regions and TEN-T nodes & parking areas can provide a sufficient refueling network for zero-emission freight?
• What is the required investment to safeguard an efficient transition towards a zero-emission energy- & refueling infrastructure?

Draft agenda:

• Welcome words and introduction
• ESCALATE: Refueling and recharging infrastructure and long-haul cross-border freight pilots
• ZEFES: Insights into the potentials of fuel-cell HDVs
• Round-table discussion on the required energy infrastructure for long-haul vehicles