THE “obsessive” focus on the roll-out of electric vehicles is misplaced and overlooks world-leading innovation that could transform transport, a Scottish firm says.
Artemis Intelligent Power formed 20 years ago to harness Scotland’s wave power before developing into other high-tech areas.
Now the Midlothian company is working with major heavy vehicle firms as it aims to capitalise on its innovative hydraulics systems that cut fuel use, slash carbon emissions and boost efficiency.
Managing director Dr Niall Caldwell says the tech is aimed at machines which cannot be switched to eco-friendly electric systems due to costs and practical barriers, including high energy needs.
Tests show the digitally controlled devices can produce a 20 per cent fuel saving for heavy plant and increase productivity by ten per cent, potentially creating major savings for operators and significantly reducing their carbon footprint.
Meanwhile, the truck upgrades harness the energy used in braking and recycle it for use when the vehicle moves off again.
Caldwell, whose business was bought up by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2010, said: “We are getting very encouraging results. There is a big pressure to reduce emissions, and particularly to move to electric. It is obsessive.
“There is almost a religious fervour about electric but it is not matched by any feasible numbers or tests.
“There is a big assumption being made – just because a little city car can be made satisfactorily electronic, that means we will have electric planes and trucks. All the experts acknowledge that is not possible with today’s technology.
“With trucks, the results have been disappointing. It can’t handle the peaks of power that you get when it is slowing down and starting again, and it is a maintenance nightmare.
“For an excavator, it is literally impossible to apply batteries because it has to work in a muddy field, there are no charging points and the batteries are way too small for the power it consumes. The way forward is to make them more efficient. That’s what we can do.”
While the Scottish Government aims to support innovation and renewables, Holyrood climate targets have been criticised for the focus on the continued adoption of electric vehicles.
However, Caldwell, whose company has also developed new hydraulics systems for cars, argues this benefits only the wealthy, saying: “There is a subsidy paid to everyone who buys an electric car. Most of these are going to the middle classes and early adopters, people who have garages.
“The average person can’t afford it and they are paying their taxes to facilitate these things. We have got to question this.
“There is a lot of technology we could be deploying today which actually makes a massive improvement of the efficiency of conventional vehicles. We need a more mature approach.”
Based in Loanhead, Artemis employs a staff of 45 and created the world’s largest hydrostatic transmission system for a wind turbine.
Last month it secured £2.5 million funding from Wave Energy Scotland to trial a prototype geared towards improving wave power efficiency with Edinburgh company Quoceant.
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