Different Charging Strategies for Electric Vehicle Fleets in Urban Freight Transport

Bram Kin, Meike Hopman and Hans Quak
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Bram Kin: Sustainable Transport and Logistics Department, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 2496 RZ The Hague, The Netherlands
Meike Hopman: Sustainable Transport and Logistics Department, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 2496 RZ The Hague, The Netherlands
Hans Quak: Sustainable Transport and Logistics Department, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 2496 RZ The Hague, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: The transition from diesel-driven urban freight transport towards more electric urban freight transport turns out to be challenging in practice. A major concern for transport operators is how to find a reliable charging strategy for a larger electric vehicle fleet that provides flexibility based on different daily mission profiles within that fleet, while also minimizing costs. This contribution assesses the trade-off between a large battery pack and opportunity charging with regard to costs and operational constraints. Based on a case study with 39 electric freight vehicles that have been used by a parcel delivery company and a courier company in daily operations for over a year, various scenarios have been analyzed by means of a TCO analysis. Although a large battery allows for more flexibility in planning, opportunity charging can provide a feasible alternative, especially in the case of varying mission profiles. Additional personnel costs during opportunity charging can be avoided as much as possible by a well-integrated charging strategy, which can be realized by a reservation system that minimizes the risk of occupied charging stations and a dense network of charging stations.

Keywords: urban freight transport; city logistics; electrification; zero emission zone; sustainability; charging strategy; charging infrastructure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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