A company is developing self-propelled, battery-electric railcars you can control with your phone
A young tech company called Intramotev has developed zero-emissions freight mobility solutions that could help significantly decarbonize (and revitalize) a major industry in the US. Following a new $200,000 grant from the state of Michigan, Intramotev looks to deploy three of its self-propelled battery-electric railcars in the state later this year.
Intramotev is a St. Louis-based group founded in 2020 that describes itself as a “high-technology company developing autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions that decrease costs, increase usage and safety, and promote environmental responsibility.”
In a few short years, the company has been able to develop unique freight solutions using software and battery-electric propulsion technology. This includes the TugVolt battery electric railcar (seen above and below), which can decouple from the consist (the group of railcars as a whole) and operate independently for first and last mile legs.
The company has also developed a ReVolt railcar that can be positioned to stay within the train’s consist and capture energy using regenerative braking to reduce diesel consumption from the line’s locomotive. Intramotev CEO Dr. Timothy Luchini described the potential for zero-emissions freight in a video you can also view below:
Technologies are ready to be adopted today and we don’t have to wait for a breakthrough in those technologies to make it happen. We’re integrating it all together into this new innovative platform that gives rail a competetive edge for the next 200 years.
Following a fresh grant from the state of Michigan, Intramotev appears poised to begin deploying its TugVolt electric railcars before the end of 2023.
Intramotev nabs $200k to develop, deliver electric railcars
Intramotev shared details of the grant this morning, which includes $200,000 from Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME). The funding will be used to further develop Intramotev’s TugVolt kit – which can be retrofitted to existing railcars so they become battery-electric and move independently.
Intramotev states that highway freight trucks produce an estimated 433 million tons of carbon emissions annually, while nearly a million freight railcars sit idle every day in switching yards. The company looks to alleviate the congestion and pollution on these roadways by hardening freight shipment certainty through electric performance. All while helping meet the Federal Railroad Administration’s Climate Challenge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
We’ve covered plenty of emerging electric locomotives in the past, but Intramotev is trying to remove that dependency altogether. Per CEO Timothy Luchini, PhD:
We are excited to partner with Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification to usher in a new era of industrial revitalization. Utilizing the most advanced battery-electric technology and other proprietary tools, we look to apply the packetization of the internet model to freight logistics initially on short captive routes and remove the actual distance then rapidly expanding to the full network of 140,000 miles of existing US track without additional infrastructure. We envision a future where freight can move itself without waiting for a locomotive, making the system more efficient and environmentally friendly.
The grant from Michigan’s OFME is expected to help Intramotev deploy three of its TugVolt self-propelled railcars at a mining site in the state’s Upper Peninsula in late 2023. If and when that does happen, the parties state it will be the first deployment of self-propelled, battery-electric railcars for commercial use in a freight rail operation anywhere in the world.
You can learn more about Intramotev and watch the TugVolt get summoned using a smartphone in the video below.
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Executives from TravelCenters America (TA) and BP were joined by local elected officials at a ribbon cutting for the two companies’ first DC fast charging hub on I-95 in Jacksonville, Florida – the first of several such EV charging stations to come online.
Frequent road-trippers are no doubt familiar with TA’s red, white, and blue logo and probably think of the sites as safe, convenient stops in otherwise unfamiliar surroundings. The company hopes those positive associations will carry over as its customers continue to switch from gas to electric at a record pace in 2025 and beyond.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our journey to bring new forms of energy to our customers as we support their changing mobility needs, while leveraging the best of bp and TA,” explains Debi Boffa, CEO of TravelCenters of America. Boffa, however, was quick to – but TA is quick to point out that TA isn’ no’t leaving its ICE customers behind. “While this is significant, to our loyal customers and guests, rest assured TA will continue to provide the same safe and reliable fueling options it has offered for over 50 years, regardless of the type of fuel.”
The charging hub along the I-95 offers 12 DC fast charging ports offering up to 400kW of power for lickety-quick charging. While they’re at the TA, EV drivers can visit restrooms, shop at TA’s convenience store, or eat at fast food chains like Popeyes and Subway. Other TA centers offer wifi and pet-friendly amenities as well – making them ideal partners for BP as the two companies builds out their charging networks.
“As we expand our EV charging network in the US, I am thrilled to unveil our first of many hubs at TA locations,” offers Sujay Sharma, CEO of BP Pulse Americas. “These sites are strategically located across key highway corridors that provide our customers with en route charging when and where they need it most, while offering convenient amenities, like restaurants and restrooms.”
Electrek’s Take
As I type this, BP has more than 37,000 EV charging ports operational globally, and plans to have more than 100,000 in service by 2030. The company made headlines in 2022 when it announced that its EV chargers were “on the cusp” of being more profitable than its gas pumps. Three years on, it seems like that’s a done deal.
As ever, money talks.
SOURCE | IMAGES: BP.
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The new e2500-THL and TS electric Ultra Buggies from Toro offer construction and demo crews a carrying capacity of 2500 lbs. (on the TS model), six-and-a-half foot dump height (on the THL), nearly 13 cubic ft. of capacity, and hours of quiet, fume-free operation.
Despite the second Trump administration’s loosening grip on emissions regulations, the fact remains that a growing number of municipalities in both red and blue regions of the US are continuing to clamp down on noise regulations, which means that construction crews with quiet running electric equipment will be able to get jobs that crews stubbornly holding on to diesel and gas won’t. Toro absolutely gets it, which is why its e2500-THL and TS Ultra Buggy line will be welcomed by smart crews with open arms.
For their open-mindedness, those crews will be rewarded with machines powered by 7 kWh’s worth of Toro HyperCell lithium-ion battery. That’s good enough for up to eight hours of continuous operation, according to Toro – enough for two typical working shifts.
And, thanks to the Toro Ultra Buggies’ narrow, 31.5″ width, they can easily navigate man doors on inside jobs, as well, making them ideal for indoor demolition and construction jobs. A zero-turn radius and auto-return dump mechanism that ensures the tub automatically returns to the proper resting position make things easy for the operator, too.
Toro says that each of its small (for Toro) e2500 Ultra Buggy units can replace as many as five wheelbarrows on a given job site. Pricing is expected to start at about $32,000.
Electrek’s Take
Electric equipment makes job sites cleaner, quieter, and safer than they are under diesel or gas power – and as more municipal and private sector RFPs begin to enforce ZEV requirements and quiet hours, more and more viable electric alternatives to ICE power will start to show up on more and more job sites (regardless of who is in the White House).
SOURCE | IMAGES: Toro, via Construction Equipment.
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