Innovative logistics service providers are currently looking for possibilities to introduce electric
vehicles for goods distribution. As electrical
vehicles still suffer from a limited operation range, the
logistical process faces important challenges. In this research we advise on the composition of the
electrical vehicle fleet and on the configuration of the service network, to achieve a successful
implementation of electric vehicl
es
in the innercity of Amsterdam.
A
d
ditional question in our research is
whether the CO2 emission reduces at all or might even increase due to an increase of tripkilometres as
a
consequence
of mileage constraint
s
by the bat
teries
.
The aim of the implementation of the research is to determine the ideal fleet to transport a known
demand of cargo, located at a central depot
,
to a known set of recipients using vehicles of varying types.
The problem can be classified as a Fleet S
ize and Mix Vehicle Routing Problem (FSMVRP). In addition
to the regular constraints that apply to the regular FSMVRP, in our case also time windows apply to the
cargo that needs to be transported (FSMVRPTW). The operation range of the vehicles is constrai
ned by
the battery capacity. We suggest modifications to existing formulations of the FSMVRPTW to make it
suitable for the application on cases with electrical vehicles. We apply the model to create an optimal
fleet
configuration and the service routes.
I
n our research case of the Cargohopper in Amsterdam, the performance of alternative fleet
compositions is determined for a variety of scenarios, to assess their robustness. The main uncertainties
addressed in the scenarios are the cargo composition, the op
eration range of the vehicles and their
operation speed.
Based on our research findings in Amsterdam we conclude that the current generation of electric
vehicles
as a part of
urban cons
olidation concept
have the ability to perform urban freight transport
efficiently
(19% reduction in vehicle kilomet
res
)
and meanwhile have the capability to improve air
quality
and reduce
CO
2
-
emissions
by 90%
, and
reduce
noise nuisance in the in
ner cities of our (future)
towns.
