nCa Commentary
Japan is planning to build the Tokyo-Osaka Logistics Tunnel, a nearly 500km network of hi-tech, automated conveyor belts – called the Autoflow-Road – to transport goods
It will be a zero-emissions solution for moving the cargo between the two major cities of Japan. It will also replace 25000 trucks.
Apart from ecological concerns caused by the trucks running on the fossil fuels, there is also the fact that the population of the able-bodied people is declining in Japan as more and more of them reach the retirement age. On the other hand, there is the continuing rise in online shopping.
According to a forecast, the country is expecting that some 30% of parcels simply won’t make it from A to B by 2030, because there’ll be nobody to move them. The number of delivery drivers in Japan is set to plummet from 660,000 in 2020 to just 480,000 by 2030.
The tunnel will automatically propel the cargo on the conveyor belts or by some other means including autonomous carts. It wil come into service by 2034.
The expected cost of the tunnel itself is around USD 23 billion. The cost for the conveyor system, autonomous carts or other means of cargo movement in the tunnel has not been estimated yet.
This is a wonderful idea but it would perhaps be advisable to experiment with it at smaller scale to fine-tune it.
This kind of system, however, cannot be replicated in Central Asia because of the terrain and the dynamics of logistics.
Nevertheless, it encourages the quest for the out of the box solutions for the logistics sector of Central Asia.
The region is increasingly popular as a transit territory for the cargo movement. The need for the movement of more cargo within the region is also rising fast.
As the volume of freight increases, there are four challenges:
- Ecological stress caused by the trucks running on the fossil fuel
- Congestion on the roads
- Wear and tear of the roads
- Need for more trained drivers and crew
There are already some solutions to alleviate the ecological stress such as the EV or PHEV truck.
For example, there is the Freightliner eCascadia truck, which can go up to 370km on a single charge. In flatbed or semi configuration, it can carry the load up to 41 tons. The recharge time from 0% to 80% is 90 minutes. The manufacturer is Daimler Truck North America.
The other producers in this category are Tesla, Nikola Corporation, and Volvo Trucks.
China’s Geely is planning to roll out the new Homtruck in 2024, targeting the domestic and international markets.
The Homtruck will have different power options including methanol hybrid and pure electric. Methanol-powered batteries are a technology Geely has been investing in for some years and some of its models currently have this power option. Farizon says the Homtruck’s batteries can also be swapped out which cuts down on the need to charge.
The vehicle will be able to use some partially autonomous driverless features. And for longer journeys, trucks will be able to communicate with each other to maintain safe speed and distance. The Homtruck will be fully autonomous by 2030.
With the trucks running on all-electric or hybrid propulsion system and offering the driver-less option, Central Asia can partly eliminate two of the four challenges: 1. Ecological stress, and 2. Need for more drivers.
To actually switch to the EV or hybrid fleet, there would be the need to opt for the configuration where the prime mover can be detached from the body of the truck. This would enable the almost continuous movement of cargo. Each charging stations can attach the prime move with fully charged battery to the truck while the one in need of charging is detached.
As far as the congestion on the road and wear and tear of the roads are concerned, the logistics companies would need to explore the capabilities of drones. /// nCa, 4 July 2024