Electric rail vehicles trialed in the US

author: FutureCar Staff    

Autonomous electric rail vehicles are set to be trialed in the United States, following the success of self-driving cars on the country's streets. The trial will be conducted by Parallel Systems, a Los Angeles-based company founded in 2020 by former SpaceX engineers. Their goal is to develop battery-electric rail vehicles that can move freight in a cleaner, safer, and more cost-effective way than traditional trucks.

Each of these autonomous rail vehicles is equipped with its own battery, traction motor, computer, and sensors. They have the ability to move independently along the rail, but it is envisioned that they would operate in groups of 10 to 15 for greater efficiency. These vehicles will transport standard shipping containers, either as a single or double stacked load.

Compared to articulated lorries, these autonomous rail vehicles use only 25% of the energy. Additionally, they claim to offer the lowest operational cost among surface freight transportation options. As a result, Georgia Central Railway and Heart of Georgia Railroad have applied to the Federal Railroad Administration to pilot this technology on portions of their rail lines.

The primary objective of this technology is to reduce the reliance on trucks for freight transportation, rather than revolutionizing rail freight. However, it is expected that rail freight will benefit as a by-product. The vehicles are designed for relatively short journeys, with a target distance of about 500 miles.

Matt Soule, the founder and CEO of Parallel Systems, explains that the goal is to use platoons of autonomous rail cars to deliver freight on routes that are typically handled by trucks. These routes are usually around 500 miles in length, and it is not a limiting factor as the units can be charged in just one hour.

One advantage of Parallel's platoons is that they do not require large quantities of freight to be economically viable. This allows for a more responsive service and a wider range of routes. In terms of safety, Parallel claims that their system is safer than traditional freight trains. The vehicles can quickly detect hazards and stop up to 10 times faster than a train. Moreover, the closed network of railroads is well-suited for autonomous technology due to limited track access and centralized traffic control.

If approved, the pilot for these autonomous electric rail vehicles will commence next year.

FutureCar Staff