Carbon Neutral Road Transportation : An Assessment of the Potential of Electrified Road Systems

Abstract: Sweden is striving towards a carbon neutral transportation sector by2030 which includes reductions from CO2 emissions by 70%. This thesis focusses especially on the decarbonization of road freight transportation. Even though electrification of vehicles is seen as one of the available options to reach this goal, present battery technology does not meet requirementsof energy density and cost. The electrification of roads with electrified road systems (ERS) enables vehicles to charge electrical energy while in motion and has the potential toreduce weight and costs of on-board batteries for electric vehicles and avoids range anxiety of vehicle operators. Within this Master’s thesis, available ERSs are assessed and it is shown which of the available systems performs best in selected categories. Furthermore, alterantive options for large CO2 emission reductions in the roadtransportation sector are evaluated and it is shown that ERSs constitute the most promising alternative. Results of this dissertation are based on a qualitative research approachand limited to data availability.