With the remarkable advancement in battery technology, battery-electric road vehicles can offer cost-effective and substantial benefits. Additionally, increasing regulations and sustainability pressures are prompting the logistics sector to reconsider alternatives.
Truck manufacturers are signaling the end of the pioneering phase and are beginning to move towards series production. Thanks to the increasing power of battery technology, heavy-duty battery-electric trucks with a driving range of several hundred kilometers are now a reality. The favorable price development and the rapid establishment of “gigantic factories” in Europe for battery production indicate a high likelihood of quick breakthroughs for this technology.
Goals
To prepare the Flemish transport sector for the implementation of battery technology, to achieve emission-free goods road transport, VIL conducted a study in Logibat. The study aimed to investigate the operational and economic conditions necessary to make battery-electric transport feasible. Additionally, it looked at the requirements for establishing a nationwide charging network at shippers’ and depots’ facilities, as well as at (semi-)public stops. The study also explored the emergence of new business models in this ecosystem and examined the potential role of logistics companies as providers of charging infrastructure. Furthermore, the potential for implementing Catenary Solutions in Road Systems within Flanders was also studied.