Agent-Based Investigation of Charger Queues and Utilization of Public Chargers for Electric Long-Haul Trucks

Abstract

This paper investigates the charging needs and charger utilisation of a system of battery electric trucks and their public fast chargers, along the highway between the Swedish cities of Helsingborg and Stockholm, in a possible future scenario in which all trucks are battery electric. The system is investigated via an agent-based model which simulates a typical day with current levels of truck traffic on the road. The traffic flow is based on hourly truck flow data during a day and the annual flow of trucks. The findings indicate major potential for a well-functioning system of public chargers for trucks, with high utilisation, few queuing problems at charging stations, cheap public fast charging and a robust response to queues caused by peaks or increases in the traffic flow. The number of 900 kW chargers along the road needed to achieve this has been estimated at 140, and the utilisation factor for the chargers is predicted to be 30%.