Developing a Framework to Support Strategic Drayage Truck Electrification

Research Team: Ran Wei (lead), Nanpeng Yu, and Zuzhao Ye

UC Campus(es): 

Additional Research Partners: UC Riverside

Problem Statement: Drayage trucks that transport goods to and from ports and intermodal terminals must be fully zero-emission by 2035. Electrifying drayage truck operations will require significant investment and strategic planning to deploy these vehicles and their charging infrastructure. Key considerations include identifying appropriate battery range for heavy duty electric trucks, assigning them to appropriate delivery routes, and locating appropriately sized charging infrastructure.

Project Description: This project will develop a comprehensive framework to support the strategic planning for the electrification of drayage trucks. The researchers will collect truck and GPS data to develop a computer model to estimate demand for drayage services in a defined study area and on nearby road networks together with charging requirements for individual trucks. They will then develop an integrated framework for charging infrastructure planning that will (1) identify the best locations and capacities for charging infrastructure and (2) determine which routes can be electrified. The researchers will revise and rerun the model to determine the optimal service level that can be achieved. Finally, the researchers will conduct a case study covering over 6,000 drayage trucks operating on primary and secondary roads.

Status: In Progress

Budget: $80,000