E-highways could cut CO2 emissions dramatically by 2030s
The UK could cut the majority of the CO2 emissions generated by traffic by installing e-highways in a project that would pay for itself within 15 years and cost around £20bn, a think-tank said.
The e-highways would cost taxpayers £19.3bn and would put most of the UK within reach of the trucks by the late 2030s.
The system of overhead cables and adapted lorries would pay for itself within 15 years of construction, a report from government-funded academics at the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight said.
The report suggests that a first phase of building work on the busiest roads could take two years, costing £5.6bn. Later stages would bring the total cost to £19.3bn.
Lower energy costs are predicted to pay back vehicle operators for the investment in new vehicles within 18 months, while electrification infrastructure could pay back its investors within 15 years, the report said.
The catenary cables, powered by the national electricity grid, would link to lorries driving in the inside lanes on 4,300 miles (7,000km) of UK roads through an extendable rig.
The electricity would power the lorry’s electric motor, as well as recharging an onboard electric battery that would power them to their destinations beyond the electrified roads.
The road freight sector accounted for 5% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2018, according to government figures.
Cutting down on these emisions would help the government meet its net-zero carbon targets set for 2050.