Coupled Routing and Charge Schedule Optimization of Electrified Delivery Truck Fleets Feasibility Analyses

Electrifying truck fleets has the potential to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions from the freight transportation sector. However, the range limitations and substantial capital costs with current battery technologies imposes constraints that challenge the overall cost feasibility of electrifying fleets for logistics companies. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility via coupled routing and charge scheduling optimization of a delivery fleet serving a large urban area. To this end, we first build an improved energy consumption rate model for a Class 7-8 electric and diesel truck using a data-driven approach of generating energy consumption data from powertrain simulations on numerous drive cycles. We then conduct several analyses on the impact of battery size, cost, and electricity prices on the feasibility of fleet electrification at different penetration levels, considering availability of fast charging at the depot. Findings indicate that at typical energy density of current battery technology, there is an optimal battery pack capacity that results from the contradicting effects increasing capacity on cost, life span, weight and energy consumption. It is also observed that improving trends in battery prices and availability of reduced electricity prices at the depot, such as via renewable sources at the depot, can make electrifying viable even at low levels of penetration.