Test of an efficient truck that reduces construction transports

In 2023, a new truck started operating on the roads of Stockholm Royal Seaport. The vehicle is an High Capacity Transport (HCT) truck, which means it can carry approximately twice the weight while reducing the overall fuel consumption by nearly half.

As part of the HCT-City research project, Stockholm Royal Seaport is serving as a testbed for a completely new truck that began operating in the area in 2023. HCT is a way to streamline transportation by increasing a vehicle's load capacity while maintaining the same axle pressure. Maintaining the axle pressure is important as this has a significant impact on road wear. Due to the truck being designed with five axles instead of three, the pressure on the road remains constant, and the wear is also unchanged.

The test will run for nine months, and the new truck will be able to carry a load of approximately 24 tonnes, which is twice as much as those typically used in Stockholm. Because the truck can handle larger loads, this results in fewer transports and significant opportunities to reduce the climate impact of construction transports within cities.

Research on HCT has been ongoing for several years for long-haul transports, and with HCT-City. The concept will now be further studied to determine how it can streamline construction transports in cities. HCT-City tests how different designs can improve both the productivity of the entire construction project and the transport efficiency of bulk goods in cities, thereby reducing emissions of both carbon dioxide and particles in the air, while also reducing road wear and improving or maintaining traffic safety.

The project also seeks to improve coordination and control required to streamline transports. Therefore, the vehicles are connected, and sensors in the infrastructure register the vehicle's weight, speed, and mileage.

Positive results from a preliminary study

Several years ago, Ecoloop conducted a preliminary study of the HCT-City concept in Stockholm Royal Seaport with positive results. A three-month test period of the truck resulted in a 35 per cent reduction in transports and a 10 per cent reduction in fuel consumption per tonne-kilometre.

The project involves: Rise, Volvo Technology, VTI, the Swedish Transport Administration, Ecoloop, Varberg Municipality, and the City of Stockholm.

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Article Published: 16/05/2023 Updated: 26/06/2024