Abstract
As an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, the road freight sector plays a significant role when it comes to reaching global climate goals. Due to the requirements regarding payloads and ranges, the transition towards zero emissions is particularly challenging in this sector. A technical solution that can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are electrified semi-trailer systems. These vehicles can be combined with conventional tractor vehicles in order to reduce their fuel consumption and CO2 footprint, as well as with tractor vehicles with alternative powertrains to increase their driving range.
In this paper, a simulation study that evaluates the potentials of different configurations for such a system is performed. In the first part the general working principle of an electrified trailer is described. This includes a cloud based predictive energy management system that was used during the simulations. Based on a general vehicle model, the potentials of using electrified trailers in combination with a conventional tractor vehicle are evaluated. The study includes different powertrain configurations and battery systems. The different configurations were evaluated regarding their potential on fuel consumption reduction, greenhouse gas emissions and their influence on the total costs of ownership. Options like public fast charging and the use of a hybrid battery storage system that combines different battery cells were also evaluated.
Regardless of their specific configuration, the electrified trailer variants showed a significant potential for a reduction of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The results also indicated the potential to achieve lower overall costs compared to a baseline vehicle with a conventional trailer.