Thursday, January 15, 2026 · 340 words · 2306 characters

“Dynamic Charging”: RWTH Proves Practicality of Converted E-Trucks

Aachen – The Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) and the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University have jointly developed a retrofit concept for electric series trucks in the successfully completed “BEV Goes eHighway – BEE” research project. In close collaboration with vehicle manufacturer DAF Trucks, two battery-powered “DAF XD Electric” models were upgraded with a newly developed pantograph system. Having been tested in real-world traffic, the system allows the vehicle’s battery to be charged from an overhead line while driving, enabling a reduction in battery size and an increase in operational flexibility.

“Dynamic charging while driving is an important component in the technology mix for decarbonizing freight transport in an ecologically and economically sustainable manner,” says ika Director Professor Lutz Eckstein. The aim of the BEE project was not only to develop a cost-effective retrofit solution for pantograph systems, but also to analyze the existing interfaces for easy integration into standard electric trucks from various manufacturers and to derive a proposed standard for the necessary adjustments. “Powering the battery via overhead lines can help reduce stationary charging and the associated delivery times,” says PEM Director Professor Achim Kampker. The project also investigated potential savings in terms of battery size, the impact on battery aging behavior, and the investments into the retrofit system as part of a “total cost of ownership” analysis.

After developing, building, and integrating the retrofit concept into the “Maja” and “Willi” truck prototypes in the summer of 2024, the system was homologated in both vehicles in accordance with legal requirements. After receiving official road approval, the two trucks completed comprehensive test drives as part of the ELISA, FESH, and eWayBW field trials to prove the system’s suitability for use in public road traffic. Together, the two vehicles covered more than 10,000 test kilometers. The research project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conversation and Nuclear Safety and supervised by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik.

About the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University

The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University was founded in 2014 by StreetScooter co-inventor Professor Achim Kampker, who, in addition to his expertise in electric mobility components and concepts in teaching and research, also has many years of experience in managing start-ups and established companies. In numerous research groups, the PEM team is dedicated to all aspects of the development, manufacture, testing, and recycling of battery systems, electric motors, hydrogen technologies, and their respective components, as well as their integration, particularly in heavy commercial vehicles. The institute specializes in digitalization, sustainability assessment in production engineering, and new battery technologies.

A total of 73 researchers, 31 non-scientific staff, and around 90 student assistants are employed at the German-Dutch Avantis business park and on the RWTH Aachen Campus. The PEM team is active in teaching, nationally and internationally funded research projects, and collaboration with renowned industry partners. The focus is always on sustainability and cost reduction – with the aim of creating a seamless “innovation chain” from basic research to large-scale production in the immediate vicinity. In this context, the PEM chair provides fertile ground for partly networked spin-offs and mobility products.

www.pem.rwth-aachen.de