Optimization of Electric Truck Charging Infrastructure Planning Considering GHG Emissions

Compared with widely adopted passenger Electric Vehicles (EVs), electric trucks (e-trucks) have high requirement for charging infrastructure and low operational efficiency (such as long charging time and frequent charging stops), which hinders market adoption. A reliable and easily accessible charging infrastructure network can facilitate this transformation from traditional truck fleets to electric alternatives. This paper proposes a charging infrastructure location optimization strategy to develop such charging stations network for e-trucks. Candidate charging station locations of e-trucks are identified using ArcGIS and evaluated based on various factors such as accessibility, grid network, power supply, and corridors priority. Besides, the source of electricity used to refill e-trucks' batteries will impact the overall GHG emissions during the operation stage of e-trucks. To ensure the lowest overall GHG emissions of e-trucks, energy mix of power supplier is incorporated to evaluate the overall environmental impact. A mixed integer programming model is formulated to minimize the total economic investment and GHG emissions. The model is then applied to investigate operation of commercial e-truck fleet in Arizona. Other managerial insights are further discussed.