Sustainability Award in Automotive 2025 honours ‘evTrailer2’ project

Fig.: The ‘evTrailer2’ project has won the Sustainability Award in Automotive 2025 in the ‘Open Innovation’ category. Professor Christian Beidl, Lars Knaup (both VKM TU Darmstadt), Michael Wißbach (CuroCon GmbH) and Leo Heindl (Sono Motors GmbH) accept the award on behalf of the entire consortium (from left to right). Photo: Zöhre Kurc_ATZlive

The ‘evTrailer2’ research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, is evaluating the potential of various technologies for electrified articulated lorry systems in long-distance transport. The aim is to develop highly efficient technologies to reduce the fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of articulated lorries. The project consortium received the Sustainability Award in Automotive 2025 in the ‘Open Innovation’ category on 26 March in Berlin for its work on the autonomous battery-electric semi-trailer.

Together with the ATZ/MTZ Group and experts from Arthur D. Little, the Sustainability Award in Automotive is presented every year. The award honours pioneering sustainable solutions that contribute to the achievement of climate protection and sustainability goals.

‘evTrailer2’ honoured as ’Open Innovation for Sustainability’

In the research project ‘Electric drive cooperation and energy system for heavy commercial vehicles - evTrailer2’, a consortium from industry and science is working on making progress with regard to a further CO₂-reduction of heavy articulated lorries (N3, vehicles for transporting goods over twelve tonnes) and driving safety. The research group aims to achieve a new, unprecedented level of efficiency and further develop the concept of an electrically powered semi-trailer suitable for ‘traction cooperation’ with the tractor unit in such a way that the GHG reduction targets, i.e. savings of between 20 and 40 per cent for the period after 2030, are already achieved by the end of the project in 2025.

‘The prize is an additional motivation for the test phase, which is now beginning,’ says Lars Knaup from the “evTrailer2” project team. The 3-axle semi-trailer will soon be on the road for testing. The trailer has an electric drivetrain with two electric motors and a traction battery to recover energy when braking and travelling downhill and to support the tractor unit. It is designed as a plug-in hybrid vehicle that enables powerful recharging of the battery, supported by solar panels on the sides and roof. A hybrid battery system combines high-energy and high-performance cells to reduce weight while delivering peak power during recuperation or when travelling uphill. A cloud-based predictive operating strategy is being developed for energy management.

Another aim is to operate the trailer without a tractor unit in loading areas and depots. To this end, it is equipped with a two-speed gearbox that enables high torques for yaw movements and offers the electric machines highly efficient operating conditions. In addition, a two-axle dolly has been designed to take over the weight normally carried by the tractor unit.

Scientific contact:
Project management: Michael Wißbach, michael.wissbach@curocon.de
Dr. Benedict Götz, benedict.goetz@lbf.fraunhofer.de

More information about the project: evTrailer

This translation is based on the press release by Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF from 02.04.2025, originally in German.