Pioneering work: Electric snow plow put to the test by the Norwegian Road Administration

18.04.2024 – A few weeks ago, the Norwegian Road Administration Statens vegvesen completed a series of tests with an electric Designwerk Technologies tractor unit with snow plow. The 1000 kilowatt-hour (kWh) electric truck from customer Litra AS was tested for almost four weeks under challenging conditions for use in winter road maintenance. The aim of the test operations was to find out whether snow clearing with electric trucks is possible and sensible using today’s technology and under extremely adverse weather conditions. The test results will influence the tender conditions for winter road services in Norway. As a partner of Designwerk, CHSnor AS provided organizational support for the test series.

The test operation took place over four weeks in February in Norway with a Designwerk HIGH CAB Semi 6x2T tractor unit with a 1000 kWh battery capacity and 350 kilowatts (kW) maximum charging power. Designwerk also supported the project with data analysis and advice throughout. The test drives took place in the region around Dombås. Partly on public roads, partly on a completely snow-covered airfield. The conditions could not have been more different. The race took place in temperatures between minus five and minus 32 degrees Celsius. Partly in gale-force winds and heavy snowfall, partly with challenging climbs. In extreme cases, up to 60 cm of compact icy snow had to be cleared. Depending on the snow conditions, average speeds varied between 30 and 55 km/h.

Electric trucks put to the test: test track on the highway and at the airport

The first test phase started on the European route E136 in the direction of Bjorli between Oslo and Trondheim. In light to moderate snowfall and temperatures as low as minus five degrees, the truck covered a total distance of 293 kilometers (km) at an average speed of 47 kilometers per hour (km/h). The E136 has a slight gradient on this section of the route. The first test area between Dombås and Lesjaskog was intended to test regular daily operations under difficult weather conditions. It was therefore decided to equip the e-truck with a diagonal plow that pushes the snow load sideways off the road. With a total weight of just under 23 tons, the Designwerk e-truck consumed an average of 182 kWh/100 km.

The first day of the second test phase took place at Bjorli airfield. The route was chosen to demonstrate the particularly challenging use of an electric snow plow during a road opening in winter. The conditions on the tarmac were much more extreme than those of the first test phase. At temperatures between 21 and 32 degrees below zero, the vehicle worked its way through the 60-centimeter-high layer of snow. A V-shaped snowplow was used to break up the compact and icy snow. At an average speed of 30 km/h in these extreme conditions, consumption rose to an extraordinary 800 kWh / 100 km.

Designwerk electric truck tested in the snow: Impressive results

After all the tests were completed, it became clear that electric snow clearing is possible and makes sense. Not only that: the test results exceeded the operators’ expectations. The performance of the batteries was particularly impressive. The all-round thermal insulation of the Designwerk batteries is unique and fully demonstrated its advantages during the tests under the harsh climatic conditions at temperatures of up to -32 degrees Celsius. In combination with the 1000 kWh battery set-up – and thus the large thermal mass – the tests showed that even at temperatures below zero, the batteries can be cleared for up to nine hours without interruption and can then be recharged without any problems despite the cold. For fast charging, it turned out that preconditioning the batteries overnight with AC charging power provided high charging power of up to 349 kW during subsequent DC charging. The results of the tests suggest that a four-axle snow clearing vehicle with a diagonal plow and full salt tank for salt spreading will consume between 230 and 350 kWh of energy per 100 km. The snow load in particular is responsible for the high spread in consumption values. The high battery capacities of the test vehicle proved to be a sensible configuration in the field test.

In addition to the performance figures, the driving characteristics were also impressive. At the end of the test, the test driver spoke enthusiastically about the quiet drive, the performance and the ease with which he was able to operate the e-truck. It is expected that the test results will have an impact on the future requirements for tenders for the municipal sector in Norway. Designwerk has once again pushed the boundaries of what is feasible and impressively demonstrated what is already possible today with battery-powered electric vehicles. Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to find out about the latest developments in e-mobility.