Background

The global transition toward sustainable transport has in the last past years gained increased attention and the pressure on logistic companies to implement low-emissions alternatives such as electric trucks has increased. Despite the environmental advantages with electric truck, there are still uncertainties regarding economic feasibility due to high upfront costs and operational limitations such as limited range, charging infrastructure and payload capacity.

Objectives

This study investigates how electric trucks compare in terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and CO2 emissions across real-world transport conditions. It also evaluates how route planning can support adoption of electric trucks in a cost-effective and sustainable way. 

Methods

A case study approach was used where real-world operational data were used from two diesel trucks operating for Alwex Transport. A simulation model was created by using electric truck specifications provided by Volvo Trucks. Three different scenarios were included, a localized, mixed and weather impact scenario for modeling and analyzing. TCO and CO2 emissions were calculated and compared in each scenario. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted on model parameters such as energy consumption, charging conditions and temperature. 

Results

The results show that the electric truck can achieve lower CO2 emissions during all conditions and scenarios. However, looking at TCO the electric truck faced higher TCO than the Diesel Truck in all scenarios. The diesel truck was the most competitive during winter conditions because the electric truck faced increased energy consumption and a larger need of charging. Route planning has proved to be essential for minimizing energy consumption and optimizing charging schedules.

Conclusions

While electric trucks offer environmental benefits, their competitiveness depends on their operational conditions and effective route planning. Route optimizations help companies to make electric and diesel alternatives more comparable, primarily by mitigating operational disadvantages for electric trucks. By aligning charging schedules with operational needs and optimizing route design, electric trucks have the potential to be a more viable option than a diesel truck. The findings show the importance of strategic planning and infrastructure investments as important enables for a cost-effective transition to electric trucks.