Helbling develops new energy concepts for transport

News-Sustainability-Today

Zurich – Helbing sees great potential in the implementation of the Swiss energy strategy in the transport sector, and especially in the transport of goods over longer distances. Here, the engineering and consulting company supports its customers in sustainable energy concepts.

The Zurich-based engineering and consulting firm Helbling is supporting various projects in the transport sector as part of the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero. This is considered one of the main producers of climate-damaging greenhouse gases, ahead of industry and private households, according to a technical article. In it, the authors analyze the categories of road-based individual transport, public transport, goods transport and special transport in terms of their potential to make a decisive contribution to Switzerland’s energy strategy.

Accordingly, Helbling sees great scope for the development of environmentally compatible technologies, particularly in the transport of goods and special traffic. Unlike in public and private transport, the die has not yet been cast in the case of goods transport over longer distances and special vehicles in the construction and agricultural sectors, he said. The lower quantities and diverse fields of application demanded specifically tailored solutions.

So while there are several electric trucks on the market. However, the development is still in the starting blocks. Transportation companies would have to address the same issues as bus operators. This includes better planning of journeys in terms of route and payload, as well as converting logistics centers and truck parks in favor of a charging infrastructure.

In the case of special vehicles, the challenge lies in “their highly individualized use” and the small number of units involved in production. Thus, special vehicles whose functionality goes far beyond mere driving are produced in medium series at most. Some of them are even unique pieces for specific tasks.

According to Helbling’s experts, flexibility and adaptability are therefore crucial to meeting the requirements of these industries. In this way, innovative solutions to the complex challenges could be developed. co/ce