Abstract
The use of heavy-duty battery electric trucks for long-haul transportation is challenging because of the required high energy amounts and thus the high capacity of traction batteries. Furthermore a high capacity battery implies high initial costs for the electric vehicle. This study investigates the required battery capacity for battery electric trucks considering the requirements of long-haul transportation in Germany and compares the life cycle costs of battery electric trucks and conventional diesel trucks in different transportation scenarios. The average consumption is simulated for different battery electric truck configurations on the main German highways and transportation scenarios incorporating battery charging during driver rest periods. The results show that in average case the required battery would restrict the payload to only 80% of a usual diesel truck payload that might be acceptable considering the statistical payload use. The life cycle costs in the examined scenarios also considering the charging infrastructure show that battery electric trucks can already perform on the same costs level as diesel trucks in certain scenarios.
Highlights
The road freight transportation achieved a transportation share of 72% and produced 93% of the carbon dioxide emissions from surface freight transport in Germany in the year 2010 [1]
This study investigates the required battery capacity for battery electric trucks considering the requirements of long-haul transportation in Germany and compares the life cycle costs of battery electric trucks and conventional diesel trucks in different transportation scenarios
The life cycle costs in the examined scenarios considering the charging infrastructure show that battery electric trucks can already perform on the same costs level as diesel trucks in certain scenarios
Summary
The road freight transportation achieved a transportation share of 72% and produced 93% of the carbon dioxide emissions from surface freight transport in Germany in the year 2010 [1]. To achieve the climate goals of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions it is necessary to investigate sustainable drivetrains for heavy-duty trucks in long-haul transportation. The battery electric trucks include an electric drivetrain with a traction battery as the energy source. One of the main challenges of this drivetrain, especially concerning the transportation of heavy goods for long distances, is the range limitation of the traction battery as it has a significantly lower energy density compared to fuel. Overcoming this limitation requires a complementary combination of a properly dimensioned traction battery and charging infrastructure. The overall efficiency of the battery electric drivetrain is high compared to diesel drivetrains and fuel cell electric drivetrains [2]
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