Electric mobility plays a major role in the Dutch Climate Agreement, presented in June 2019. Almost 12 percent of CO2 emissions are produced by road transport, and 30 to 35 percent of road transport’s CO2 emissions are attributable to city logistics. The Dutch Climate Agreement states that road transport must reduce CO2 emissions in city logistics by 1 Mt by 2050. Zero-emission zones will be created in 30 to 40 Dutch cities, including Amsterdam. Amsterdam is working on a ‘Clean Air’ action plan and a program to restrict traffic in the city (city logistics is part of this).
Over the next 10 years, an increasing number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will appear on the roads to meet zero-emission requirements. For companies delivering or collecting goods in the city, the challenge is not only to transition to zero-emission vehicles but also to minimize the number of delivery vans and trucks entering the zero-emission zone. Walking, cycling, and public transport have priority in urban mobility.
City logistics is not only about supplying shops, offices, and construction sites, delivering parcels to consumers and companies, and the delivery vans of service companies and removal companies, but also about local shops, caterers, and florists who deliver to their customers.
What charging infrastructure is needed for zero-emission city logistics?
Electric vehicles require charging stations in the right locations and with the right capacity. Goods transport has different requirements for charging infrastructure than passenger mobility does.
The large-scale use of BEVs and PHEVs raises questions such as: Does the grid have enough capacity? How and where will companies be charging their vehicles in the future? Are there enough charging points in the right locations? What investments are required? Should the power grid be modified for zero-emission 2025, and thereafter? Can demand be met by public charging infrastructure, or should companies install private charging stations?
The Dutch Topsector Logistics has asked experts and knowledge institutes to investigate these questions for the Amsterdam region. The approach can, however, be applied anywhere.
Results and insights
From an operational perspective (based on their journey profiles), zero-emission light commercial vehicles today are feasible for e-commerce, e-groceries, delivery of fresh produce, facility products, catering, and parts of construction logistics. Supermarket and retail deliveries, as well as construction logistics, using larger BEV trucks from national distribution centers, are feasible after 2028. The choices businesses make vary across different city logistics segments. The research also shows that companies investing in BEVs should also revise their working methods and not simply purchase electric versions of the same vehicles they have today.
The total electric power demand of ZE city logistics is relatively low compared to other energy users. It is easier to predict peaks in power demand, both geographically and over time. A peak can have major local consequences, as a small additional peak could just push overall demand over a critical limit. Smart charging is necessary. Expanding grid capacity at a specific location can take several years.
Where will the ZE vehicles be charged?
In the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, more than 90 percent of electric delivery vans going into the future zero-emission zone come from outside Amsterdam. About 60 percent are parked in residential areas at night and are charged at private or public charging stations.
There are four possible locations where vehicles can be charged: at companies’ charging infrastructure, in public spaces (including public charging infrastructure around building sites), at the destination on the customer’s premises, and at employees’ homes. Based on trip profiles, a calculation model was used to determine the best charging strategy.
The calculation model includes the costs of electricity and the charging infrastructure. The calculation model recognizes different types of delivery vans and trucks. The best charging strategy (from a cost perspective) depends on the vehicle type, battery capacity, trip profile, and associated charging strategy. If charging costs and the costs of waiting while charging are included, the solution will yield the lowest total costs.
In Amsterdam, 40,000 charging sessions are expected each day. More than 90% for light commercial vehicles. The largest share of electricity demand for charging occurs at business locations and depots (usually in industrial parks). The largest number of charging stations is needed for delivery vans parked in residential areas (at night). Charging at customer sites accounts for 16% of truck charging demand and 6% of delivery van charging demand at supermarkets, distribution centers, construction sites, and offices. Public and fast charging is expensive compared to having your own charging infrastructure or recharging at depots and/or customers.
The effects of the energy tax and the energy rate structure (cost per kWh) differ significantly between bulk and small users. If this rate structure were to change in the future, this would have major consequences for the charging strategies. For the time being, the cheapest option is private charging at locations where ‘wholesale’ energy rates apply and where there are enough charging stations. Fast charging at public charging stations is a ‘last resort’.
The additional power demand for zero-emission vehicles in city logistics is limited; in Amsterdam, it is 0.25% of total power demand at peak times. Bottlenecks may, however, occur when the local grid reaches its maximum capacity. Increasing capacity may take considerable time and incur considerable costs.