Lithuania makes electric heavy trucks standard
Lithuanian government has announced a new project to modernise the country’s transport infrastructure. The authorities are encouraging companies to use electric heavy-duty trucks. According to the Ministry, the government will have a developed infrastructure for environmentally friendly transport within the next 2 years.
As part of the initiative, there are plans for:
- large-scale construction of high-capacity and ultra-high-capacity charging stations. They will be in place on the country’s main motorways;
- modernisation of combustion engine buses. They will be converted into electric buses.
The investment in the project will amount to 14.5 million euros. The Economic Renaissance Fund is providing the financing.
Details of the project
The works will start with the installation of 300 stations for electric vehicles of type M2-M3 and N2-N3. The facilities for heavy vehicles will be located on sections of motorways that are part of the European transport network. They will be in car parks at popular transport hubs near towns and cities for ease of use.
According to preliminary estimates, developing a network of stations for heavy electric trucks will cost over €12 million. The funding will be for installing 300 units with a capacity of 49 kW to 149 kW and more than 149 kW. Some of the units will have multiple inputs for simultaneous charging. Others will allow only one vehicle to be charged.
Another challenge is the organisation of payment for services. The government notes that clients of the stations should have several payment options. It is also important to cater for people with special needs so that they can receive services equally with others. APVA, an agency that manages such projects, will handle transactions and real-time information exchange. The organisation has already prepared the necessary documentation and is collecting applications from intermediaries to finance the work.
The second key task of the project is the modernisation of the M2 and M3 vehicles. The diesel and petrol buses will be converted to environmentally friendly operation. The budget for this project is more than 2 million euros. Companies with passenger transport services and relevant licences can participate in the programme. These legal entities will be able to receive compensation for the conversion of buses. The call for proposals is open until December 2019.
Lithuania carbon neutrality initiatives
Lithuania, like other European countries, is striving to achieve carbon neutrality. As one of the largest sources of harmful emissions, the transport sector is receiving special attention. According to the authorities, improving the infrastructure for electric heavy-duty trucks will reduce the use of combustion engine vehicles. However, this will require serious efforts and incentives for the players in the sector.
