ST Louis start-up Intramotev Autonomous Rail aims to make railroads competitive for the next 20 years with autonomous railcars, reports AJOT.
The new technology could enable better use of the US freight rail network and help mitigate the type of supply chain challenges occurring around the globe.
Intramotev CEO Timothy Luchini commented on the trends related to the movement of freight by rail and truck.
"The world is continuing to push towards just-in-time delivery of just what you need when you need it to be there. And you're seeing it with everything," said Mr Luchini.
"You're forced with this dichotomy between trucking and rail, where rail is your low-cost solution and trucking is what offers speed and flexibility. And that's a lot of tension on most supply chains," said Mr Luchini.
"We think that what's needed is something new that builds on all these industry trends that you see with autonomous trucking on the forefront and electrification of trucking in conversations everywhere. But rail has an opportunity here to build something that is more competitive than those solutions, and build on top of the strengths of the rail infrastructure that runs across this country."
Intramotev is building something that could be a game-changer for the rail industry - the TugVolt.
The TugVolt is a battery-electric, self-propelled railcar that enables freight to move with the flexibility of a truck, without breaking the existing model of rail operations.
Mr Luchini declared a vehicle like this can also help solve dwell issues.
Technology-wise, Mr Luchini declared the TugVolt contains three containerised modules, including a sensory and location stack.
"It's really important to set the perspective for what battery technology is capable of today. It helps to reduce the individual vehicle cost while carrying the right types of volumes for long ranges," said Mr Luchini.