The Road to Zero for heavy-duty vehicles is long and complicated, requiring significant changes to infrastructure before the whole journey can become zero emissions.

Project ZERAUD was funded by Innovate UK IDP 15 to assess the feasibility of putting electric drive onto a semi-trailer to allow the tractor unit to operate as usual, but for the semi-trailer to (effectively) push the combination around town with Zero Tailpipe Emissions. Providing 75miles zero emissions range to a truck covering 500miles/day gives a net 15% reduction in CO2 - Legislation requires a 15% reduction by 2025\.

This project aims to produce a prototype electrified semi-trailer that can be coupled to a tractor unit for proof of concept work and for demonstration to end users / potential investors in preparation for larger scale trials and pre-production development work.

Clairvaux Ltd produced detail drawings and applied for a patent for installing an electric drive system on a chariot which provides the interface between tractor unit and semi-trailer, as part of the Feasibility Study. In this R&D project, we will work with a UK semi-trailer manufacturer to produce a complete trailer with chariot and electric drive. We will also develop the communications between tractor & semi-trailer so that the electric drive responds at the right time to the accelerator & brake signals, making the switch from diesel to electric and back again as smooth and unnoticeable as possible.

By equipping specialist urban trailers with the zero emissions capability for the whole truck-trailer combination, the move to Net Zero Transport can be accelerated - by changing the shorter, lighter-weight journeys to electric sooner than long-distance, heavy haulage journeys - and an immediate improvement in Urban Air Quality.

We aim to include a major supermarket and a global parcels delivery company in our demonstration programme to provide commercial credibility to the concept.