SUMP Central

Select Language▼
X
en Englishde Germancs Czechit Italianhu Hungarianhr Croatianpl Polishsk Slovaksl Slovenianro RomanianOriginal

Day: July 5, 2021

In Gdynia you can charge a car thanks to trolleybuses

05/07/2021 / Leave a Comment / News / By

In Gdynia you can charge a car thanks to trolleybuses

The first mobile charging station for electric cars powered by a trolleybus network was built in Gdynia. It is a joint project of the City of Gdynia and the municipal trolleybus transport operator PKT. A press conference was held on the 9th June at the PKT headquarters about this unique mobile charger, which will use recovered energy from the braking of trolleybuses.

Gdynia is one of the three cities in Poland that use the advantages offered by trolleybus transport. Therefore, the city of Gdynia and PKT have completed two EU projects by implementing and testing an innovative solution, a mobile charging station for electric cars, powered by the trolleybus network. 

Photo: Mobile charging station for electric cars powered by the trolleybus network (PKT)

– Today we are implementing a device for testing, which is not available for residents during the testing phase, but we hope that after it everyone will be able to use the service. It is quite an unusual device that allows for the installation of a mobile charger for electric vehicles. This kind of charger is not permanently connected to the ground and can be moved wherever we have a traction network, and uses energy that has been generated in the recuperation process – said Mrs. Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychała, Vice Mayor of Gdynia for economy at the press conference.

An energy storage inverter has been designed and constructed by PKT within the EfficienCE project (Energy Efficience in Public Transport Infrastructure – INTERREG Central Europe), which is a device for processing excess braking energy and traction power. It allows for capturing excess energy generated by the braking of trolleybuses from the grid, and for the management of this energy. Interestingly, the inverter uses a used battery that will serve as an energy storage.

On the other hand, a mobile charging station for electric cars was built as part of the project CAR (Creating Automotive Renewal – INTERREG South Baltic) by the city of Gdynia, allowing them to be charged with different ranges of power and electric current.

The synergy effect of the projects is a station that can be connected to the trolleybus traction network anywhere in the city. A prototype storage energy inverter with a connected mobile charger for electric cars was launched in June at the parking place of Gdynia trolleybus depot.

Photo: Energy inverter implemented within the INTERREG EfficienCE project (PKT)

For more information, read the whole article.

Press release article authors: 

  • Marta Woronowicz – PKT GDYNIA
  • Maurycy Rzeźniczak – City of Gdynia
  • Paweł Kimel – City of Gdynia

Cover photo: PKT

France takes lead on allowing automated driving on public roads

18/07/2023 / Leave a Comment / News / By

France has become the first European country that adapted its road and traffic regulations to allow the operation of fully-automated vehicles on public rods with the decree that has been published by the French government on 1 July 2021. The decree amends road regulations to authorise testing of automated driving vehicles on public French roads. 

Following the national strategy for the development of autonomous vehicles, published in May 2018, France has published the decree adapting the provisions of the Highway Code and the Transport Code to allow from September 2022, on predefined routes or zones, vehicles equipped with delegated driving systems and automated road transport systems. Until now the highway code only considered the case of the driving of a vehicle by a person. From now on, it also provides for the possibility of an automated driving system controlling the movement of the vehicle.

The decree introduces various advancements to the French transport legislation such as an updated criminal liability system. The decree allows the driver to release its liability as soon as the automated driving system operates in accordance with its conditions of use. Another newly defined feature by the decree is the terms of interaction between the driver and the automated driving system, as well as the emergency manoeuvers that the system may need to perform automatically. A further change that has been introduced by the decree is the identification of the level of attention expected from the driver on its driving environment when a driving system is activated.

The newly published decree is seen as a major development for automated driving. Similar legislative actions have been taken in Europe in the past, the UK government announcing that by the end of 2021, “hands-free” automated vehicles offering automated lane-keeping systems (ALKS) will be legal to operate on UK roads and Germany adopting a legislation that will allow companies to deploy robotaxis and driverless delivery services on public roads by 2022 are two examples of these advancements. Nevertheless, the decree published by the French government is seen as a first in Europe. France becomes the first European country to put in place a complete regulatory framework for the circulation of autonomous vehicles.

Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate in charge of Transport mentioned the importance of the decree in his latest speech. “With this decree, we are taking another step towards the mobility of the future. France is establishing itself as one of the first countries to adapt its law to autonomous vehicles. As of today, we are giving our manufacturers and transport operators the visibility necessary to develop them – and tomorrow, make them work”

Read the full press release in French here.