Automated decentralized high power charging robots for logistic fleets

A complete electrification of logistics fleets will generate extremely high peak loads and total consumption through the necessary "refuelling processes" at the respective logistics hub. In order to be able to cover these additional consumption and peak loads, there are basically three approaches or strategies: 1. massive expansion of the network connection at the logistics hubs 2. partial expansion of the network connections and installation of stationary power storage units to compensate for peak loads 3. automated decentralized refuelling ("Charge Everywhere") at as many stops as possible of the respective logistics vehicle Automated decentralized refuelling would on the one hand help logistics companies to avoid or at least minimize the extremely high loads at the hub caused by the refuelling processes of the electric fleets and the associated costs for the mostly necessary network expansion. On the other hand, this strategy relieves the grid operators, since the increased electricity consumption and the massive peak loads resulting from the electrification of logistics fleets are distributed both temporally and spatially. In addition, the batteries of electric trucks can currently only cover trips of up to approx. 150 km. Larger battery capacities can be technically implemented, but they are associated with additional costs and also with significant reductions in payloads. Thus a complete electrification of logistics fleets or their entire tours is only possible or sensible with recharging anyway. Furthermore, decentralised refuelling achieves a strong synchronisation of loading and unloading processes. Thus the range and the net driving time of the vehicle can be increased by decentralized loading on the one hand and on the other hand. The automation of loading points is particularly relevant in the case of short downtimes of logistics vehicles (e.g. store delivery), in order to eliminate the expense for the refuelling process and to avoid errors due to the plugging in process. The development of autonomous decentralised loading points/loading robots, including the establishment of a standard, is already being strongly promoted in the passenger car and bus sector. However, there are currently no practicable solutions for electric trucks in the logistics sector. Therefore, this project aims at the development of an autonomous and fast loading robot for electric trucks for the logistics sector. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator