Intramotev deploys first independently driven battery-electric railcar [Video]

Zero-emissions freight mobility solutions specialist Intramotev continues to expand the use of its technology to new customers in the US. Today, the company shared video footage of its TugVolt battery electric railcar retrofit deployed at a calcium mine in Michigan.

Intramotev is a St. Louis-based company founded in 2020 to develop autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions that decrease railway costs and promote environmental responsibility across a longstanding yet dated freight segment plagued by diesel pollution.

We have been covering the company since mid-2023, when it shared details of its unique mobility solutions that utilize software and battery-electric propulsion technology, including its flagship TugVolt railcar. TugVolt can be controlled from a smartphone and decouple from the consist (the group of railcars as a whole), and operate independently for first—and last-mile legs of trips on existing freight lines.

The company has also developed a ReVolt railcar that can be positioned to stay within the train’s consist and capture energy using regenerative braking to reduce diesel consumption from the line’s locomotive.

In the past year alone, Intramotev has continued to grow. In April 2024, we saw it deploy its ReVolt battery-electric retrofit railcar at Iron Senergy’s Cumberland Mine in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania – described by its makers as a “world’s first.” The company also secured $14.4 million in Series A funding in August.

During that announcement, Intramotev shared plans to deploy another electric railcar at a calcium mine owned by Carmeuse Americas later in 2024. That installation is now complete, and the company has shared video footage of the battery-electric railcar in action as it gears up to deploy more.

According to a release from Intramotev, a battery-electric railcar powered by its TugVolt technology is now in operation at Carmeuse America’s calcium mine in Cedarville, Michigan, as promised last summer. Per the company, it is the world’s first independently driven battery-electric railcar in revenue service.

This initial rollout is the first of three planned TugVolt battery-electric railcars deployed in Cedarville, which is expected to eliminate up to 55,000 gallons of diesel consumption and 617 tons of CO2 emissions. The freight technology company’s CEO, Tim Luchini, spoke about its latest milestone:

As Intramotev continues to serve customers across the country, we’re excited to share a glimpse of our technology in action. Collaborating with a world-class partner like Carmeuse Americas brings us closer to achieving our mission of decarbonizing mining and steel transportation.

In addition to the announcement, Intramotev shared video footage of the electric railcar in action in Michigan, hauling and dumping calcium without any emissions. Carmeuse America’s senior vice president of operations, Jeff Bittner, spoke about the opportunities partnering with a company like Intramotev can offer:

We’re excited to partner with Intramotev to deploy their TugVolt technology. This partnership represents an incredible opportunity to increase our efficiency, decrease our carbon footprint, and keep our workers safe and focused on what they do best through adoption of emerging digital technologies. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Intramotev’s staff has expanded to 50 personnel as it continues to secure new customers and deploy more of its sustainable freight technology in the US. You can watch the TugVolt electric railcar doing its thing in Intramotev’s video below: