French transport tech developer Adgero has signed a €3.5 million distribution agreement with Skeleton Technologies to use its modules exclusively as part of the world’s first Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) for road freight.
The first Adgero KERS system with SkelMod 160V ultracapacitor modules is fitted to a curtain-sider built by SDC Trailers, and is due to be tested next month by UK transport company, Eddie Stobart.
The Adgero KERS unit consists of a bank of five high-power Skeleton Technologies SkelMod 50F 160V ultracapacitors, working alongside an electrically driven axle to capture energy loss during braking and use this energy to re-power the vehicle.
President of Adgero SAS, Mack Murray, said of the agreement:
“The efficiency gains confirmed during current testing of the KERS technology for road freight rely on power delivered via the SkelMod 160V module – those results would simply not be possible with ultracapacitors from rival manufacturers.
“The highly competitive nature of the road freight industry means improving efficiency is of the highest concern for transport operators.
“Securing supply of Skeleton Technologies’ graphene ultracapacitors ensures Adgero’s ability to bring KERS to the market with the confidence of having the world’s most advanced energy modules at the heart of our system, and deliver a powerful competitive edge to haulage operators.”
CEO and co-founder of Skeleton Technologies, Taavi Madiberk, commented:
“To deliver for Adgero, we developed intelligent ultracapacitor modules with a proprietary management system that allows for smart monitoring and control of the energy/power profile according to customer requirements.
“We worked closely with Adgero to adapt the 160V ultracapacitor power module to meet the specific needs of road freight vehicles.
“The resulting technology can reduce fuel costs for transport operators while slashing emissions by up to a quarter. With road haulage accounting for over a fifth of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, we’re proud that clean technology is central to delivering money-saving efficiency gains.”
The distribution agreement reportedly covers markets in the member states of the European Union, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel, Iceland, Canada, the United States of America, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China.