Biofuels, a complementary alternative to fully electric trucks and the development of hydrogen technology.

While everyone agrees that tomorrow's sustainable transport will require a shift away from fossil fuels, technological solutions are not limited to the production of vehicles powered by electricity or hydrogen. Manufacturers are preparing their combustion engines for new types of synthetic fuel, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a latest-generation fuel that can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90%. HVO is made from waste and fats from the food industry. It is currently the most sustainable fuel on the market, with zero impact on food production. HVO can be used 100% directly in diesel vehicles without any changes to engine settings, performance, fuel system or maintenance procedures.

It was against this backdrop that we were asked by major truck manufacturers to integrate an optical scanner for real-time analysis of the fuel used. The brief was to develop a reliable solution that would guarantee the legislator the exclusive and irreversible use of 100% pure biofuel without mixing it with any fossil fuel.

ID FUEL: Merging two areas of expertise: SP3H and ELECTRO

SP3H: The FluidBOX micro sensor

SP3H, a company based in Aix-en-Provence, has drawn on its past experience in the oil industry to develop a miniaturised solution for analysing molecular structures using near infrared technology, enabling real-time mapping of the quality of fuels and fluids. After 18 years of Research and Development, €22m of investment and the filing of more than 90 patents in 16 countries, this technology has reached maturity and the FluidBOX micro sensor is the technology chosen by more and more manufacturers.

ELECTRO: ATLAS Connect interface for its HYPHEN TECH brand

HYPHEN TECH integrates the FluidBOX micro sensor into the vehicle to guarantee exclusive use of a biofuel in accordance with government recommendations.

For over 45 years, ELECTRO has been providing technical equipment for transport and handling professionals. A premium distributor of the leading brands of on-board parts and equipment, ELECTRO offers a wide range of connected solutions under the Hyphen Tech brand (www.hyphentech.fr).

The mobility market is an exciting and constantly evolving sector. The world of transport today is a connected world. That's why ELECTRO has created the HYPHEN TECH brand, specialising in innovative solutions to simplify and secure the use of the increasing number of on-board equipment.

A member of BPI Excellence since 2009 and of the FFC Equipementier since 2021, HYPHEN TECH is determined to bring its expertise to the transport industry.

ID FUEL: A universal and versatile solution

The ID FUEL kit consists of 3 elements:
- 1 FuidBOX micro sensor
- 1 Atlas Connect universal interface
- 1 ready-to-install harness

ID FUEL is universal and can be installed on all EURO VI standard heavy vehicles fitted with a bodywork box. Already approved by UTAC for new vehicles from major truck manufacturers, the device is an effective solution for the retrofit market.

The versatile SP3H FluidBOX micro sensor is compatible with 100% of biofuels. This means total freedom of choice for distributors and producers.

ID FUEL: An effective solution for sustainable road transport

The urgency of the climate challenge means that we must leave no stone unturned in our efforts to decarbonise more quickly, and biofuels have their rightful place in tomorrow's energy mix. European legislators must harmonise their regulations and give greater consideration to clean fuels, such as HVO, with a view to reducing CO2 emissions. The environmental impact of the technical solutions before us must be analysed as a whole, i.e. from well to wheel and over the vehicle's life cycle, not just from tank to wheel.

Delivering site machinery using flatbed trucks is often a delicate operation. When renewing its fleet, LOXAM wanted to reduce the risk of accidents during loading and unloading operations, so it fitted them with a safety device to make it easier for the driver to position the machine on the flatbed.

Working with CVIM, a bodybuilder based in the Vendée, HYPHEN TECH has developed a device comprising an ultrasound sensor to measure the approach of the machine, and two warning lights located at the top and bottom of the deck that change colour according to the distance. As site machinery rarely has reversing radar, the machinery carrier itself does.

This solution is now one of the HYPHEN TECH products offered to all our customers, who install them on new or retrofit vehicles.

BLESENSE - SPECIAL HORSE VANS

BleSense, a versatile solution for sending safety information back to the driver.

Bodybuilders of horse trailers have to meet the ever-increasing demands of their customers, but they also have to guarantee strict compliance with the law as it evolves.

The BleSense system, which has already been installed at GUITTON, a coachbuilder specialising in the transport of live animals, enables transport conditions to be recorded in accordance with current European regulations (memorisation of itineraries, recording of transport temperatures and geolocated stopping points in line with animal welfare recommendations).

Interested in this easy-to-install device, consisting of a touch screen and autonomous Bluetooth sensors for temperature and opening status, horse trailer manufacturers wanted to add an extra function.

Changes to European Commission Regulation No. 16, dated 19 July 2018, make it compulsory from 1 September 2021 for additional bench seats to be fitted with a seatbelt reminder. This function was immediately added to the information already displayed on the BleSense screen. A Bluetooth sensor has been incorporated in each seat to display whether the rear seat passenger(s) are wearing their seatbelts. 
This example perfectly illustrates the versatility of HYPHEN TECH equipment and its ability to evolve.

The driver of a skip truck whose tragic oversight led to the deaths of six teenagers on 11 February 2016 in Rochefort (Charente-Maritime) in a collision with their school bus was given a five-year suspended prison sentence by the La Rochelle Criminal Court on 5 May 2022. The court handed down a sentence of five years' imprisonment "fully covered by a simple suspended sentence".
Following this tragic accident, the Ministry of Labour published the technical note of 2 July 2020 in the Journal Officiel of 14 July 2020 on solutions for bringing hydraulic tipping skips fitted with hydraulic side panels into compliance and ensuring their safety.

Backed by our expertise in the development of safety-related devices, HYPHEN TECH quickly came up with a complete range of solutions for making skip vehicles with hydraulic side panels safe and compliant. Over the 2 years allowed by the legislator, more than 4,000 vehicles will be fitted with our solutions. The use of autonomous Bluetooth sensors to detect the opening of the side panel enables fast installation and meets the specific needs of drop-side tippers requiring a wireless solution. In partnership with Daimler Truck, we have also developed a Canbus version to display alerts on the vehicle's dashboard and reduce installation times. Since then, our solutions have been able to integrate the monitoring of other safety-related equipment, such as checking the deployment of the underride bar or the skip lift.

Based on the versatility of the Atlas Connect CONTROL BOX, HYPHEN TECH offers fast, effective solutions that meet all the mandatory standards for on-board electronic equipment.