Cost-Effective Routing of a Single Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Truck

The electrification of commercial heavy-duty long-haul transport to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is projected to be the dominant technology for future transport, but it is limited by short range and long charging time. This study develops a method to optimize transport with a single BEV to be cost-effective. It formulates an optimal plan for routing, charging, speed control, and resting periods to minimize the economic cost of operation. The plan considers constraints such as customer demand, road and charging networks, vehicle limitations, time windows, and Hours of Service regulations. It is shown that the optimal plan frequently operate near empty battery making detailed energy modeling critical, and that the strategy varies significantly depending on constraints at the final destination. The vehicle can be operated to save costs, through depot charging and energy efficient speed control, or increase its utilization, through fast charging. It is proposed that for BEVs, fleet coordination will benefit from close interaction with the day-to-day operation of single vehicles.