Intramotev, a high-tech freight transportation company, has unveiled the TugVolt: a self-driving, electric battery-powered railcar designed for mine use, Electrek reports.
Traditional freight trains, which run on diesel, produced 94.6 million metric tons (over 104 million tons) of carbon dioxide in 2022, according to Statista. While this is still less than passenger cars, diesel-powered trains still contribute to planet warming and an increase in weather disasters, such as hurricanes.
Electric trains could reduce these effects and can also help save nearly $94 billion over 20 years. However, electrifying trains in the U.S. isn't moving at the same rate as passenger cars. Bridges and tunnels were made for diesel trains, and there are lower upfront costs for diesel compared to electric, so only 1% of train tracks were electrified in 2018.
Intramotev's TugVolt is one step closer to electrifying freight movement.
Intramotev aims to make freight transport "less expensive, fully dependable, and zero-emissions." The TugVolt is a self-propelled, electric railcar that can be controlled via a smartphone. The TugVolt can also operate on the first and last miles of trips for existing freight lines, which is useful for decoupling to another location.
In a video shared on its YouTube page, Intramotev showcased the TugVolt in action at the Carmeuse Cedarville Mine in Michigan. In the video, workers tested the TugVolt by adding freight and then using a tablet device to move the freight car unit and then remotely dump material into their stockpile. And the train didn't need specific electrified tracks with wires to move, using already existing infrastructure.
"The deployment represents significant innovation in the electrification of traditional rail assets without major infrastructure changes," the caption on the video reads.
With this technology, companies can use existing railroad infrastructure without having to electrify them. This can help save money in numerous industries and make electric trains more affordable and easier to use, eliminating the harmful effects of diesel.
According to Electrek, this testing in Michigan is the first of three planned TugVolts deployed in Cedarville, aiming to eliminate "55,000 gallons of diesel consumption and 617 tons of CO2 emissions."
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"Collaborating with a world-class partner like Carmeuse Americas brings us closer to achieving our mission of decarbonizing mining and steel transportation," Intramotev CEO Tim Luchini said.
"We're excited to partner with Intramotev to deploy their TugVolt technology," Jeff Bittner, Carmeuse Americas' senior vice president of operations, said. "This partnership represents an incredible opportunity to increase our efficiency, decrease our carbon footprint, and keep our workers safe and focused on what they do best through adoption of emerging digital technologies. It's a win-win for everyone involved."
Other companies are also testing electric trains for passenger transport as well. In Italy, Ferrovie della Calabria is working on a hydrogen train; in Germany, Tesla announced its Giga Train, a fully electric train. In the U.S., there is also an electric train in service between San Francisco and San Jose.
With the collaboration in Michigan, Intramotev hopes to increase partnerships in the U.S. and deploy more of its freight technology.
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