Overhead catenary vehicles in south-west Germany? A regional catenary vehicle network and its implications for electricity demand

The introduction of heavy-duty overhead catenary vehicles in the state of Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany could have a noteworthy impact on the energy system. We elaborate when, where and how much additional energy is required, based on four levels of market diffusion. Roads to be electrified are selected based on the traffic volume. Hourly resolved traffic flows allow electric load analysis. In an ambitious market diffusion scenario, there is an 8% increase of the electricity demand. In two counties, Pforzheim and Baden-Baden, the total electricity demand increases by more than 30%. The average load increases by 650 MW but the highest hourly peak annually is even 3.5 times higher.