This study presents a detailed techno-economic assessment of battery-electric
trucks, incorporating battery aging effects within a total cost of ownership
(TCO) model. With increasingly stringent emissions regulations, battery-electric
trucks are becoming a viable solution in Europe. However, due to uncertainty
regarding their long-term cost-effectiveness and fleet operators’
profit-oriented priorities, there is an urgent need for accurate TCO assessment.
Existing studies often overlook or oversimplify the impact of battery aging on
overall costs. This work addresses this gap by introducing battery aging-related
costs through an empirical battery degradation model, evaluated over the
vehicle’s lifetime. Key aging costs include a refined estimation of battery
residual value, influenced by degradation and remaining battery life, and
potential battery replacement expenses. A case study on a VECTO group 9 truck
used for regional delivery missions examines different payloads and battery pack
sizes. Furthermore, we consider two different end-of-life (EoL) threshold
scenarios for the battery pack, which impact battery replacement expenses and
the truck’s residual value. Costs are categorized as battery-independent or
battery-dependent, with battery-dependent costs covering purchase price, energy
carrier, residual value, and battery replacement cost. In addition to battery
aging that impacts both replacement costs and residual value, the results
indicate that energy carrier cost is among the most significant economic
factors.