Decarbonising the heavy transport sector

AS THE world rushes to adopt alternate transport fuels, battery-electric passenger vehicle recharging may be top of mind, but the race is on to electrify heavy vehicles and expedite charging times.

The reason for the latter is quite simple: heavy transport vehicles (trucks and buses) account for a disproportionate amount of vehicle emissions due to their large-capacity diesel powerplants. 

Electric recharging technology provider Kempower, which recently launched a new number-plate recognition system to help drivers find their slots at passenger-car EV charging stations, has now debuted the Kempower S-Series charging satellite system that features liquid-cooled charging.

Capable of delivering 400kW of continuous power, the liquid-cooled charging satellite is ideal for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks that require higher charging power than most electric vehicles.

Tomi Ristimäki, Kempower’s CEO said: “We drew upon the Kemppi Group’s 70 years of welding heritage and expertise in cooling welding cables during the development of this product. 

“Our customers can install liquid and air-cooled fast charging satellites in separate charging systems or combine both products into the same system, optimising investment costs while dynamically allocating unused power to different charging satellites. 

“Our technology also makes it possible to prioritise the liquid-cooled charging satellites to always receive full power, dynamically redistributing power when other satellites are being used. 

“We believe that electric will be the winning technology for heavy-duty vehicles in the long run. This product launch is the latest example of how we’re supporting its development,” Mr Ristimäki added.

The technology is aimed at helping the heavy-duty transport sector achieve its net-zero aspirations. 

Kempower showcased the new S-Series liquid-cooled charging satellite system at EVS35 – the world’s largest EV event – in Oslo, Norway earlier this month. 

The liquid-cooled charging system will boost electrification in the heavy-duty sector, which accounts for about 25 per cent of CO2 emissions from road transport in the European Union and 29 per cent in the US (and that’s despite the fact large trucks make up only 5 per cent of vehicles on the road).

Due to the intense heat generated by the 400kW flow of electricity, Kempower developed the liquid-cooling system, which it implemented in a revised version of the existing S-Series recharger.

Although the pace of heavy-duty vehicle electrification is picking up, emissions continue to rise –mostly because of an increased level of freight traffic. This situation is expected to continue for some time to come as developing countries strive for growth, but lack electric-charging infrastructure. 

The new charger model looks similar to Kempower’s existing S-Series charging satellite system, with the liquid-cooled cables replacing the traditional air-cooled cables.

It also features the same user interface and experience as the company’s current satellite charger, which has received positive feedback from drivers for being intuitive to operate.

Kempower also designs and manufactures Level 3 fast-charging solutions for electric passenger vehicles. The company focuses on all areas of transportation; its product development and production facilities are based in Finland and it sources most of its materials and components locally.

With Kemppi Group’s 70 years experience in perfecting DC power supplies, they set the bar high in engineering and user-experience design.

Kempower is listed in the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. Its S-Series liquid-cooled charging satellite system has been made available globally, with deliveries expected to begin in the third quarter of 2022.