Selecting Charging Strategy for Electric Trucks Using Cost–Benefit Analysis—Perspective on Operational Factors and Their Implications for Electrification

Transitioning to electrified freight transport is a challenging task, and this article explores how charging strategies can be evaluated based on operational factors. The purpose is to develop a method that synthesises the core insights of the current literature and is easy to use and understand for practitioners. Therefore, it is an aim to make it as simple as possible, covering the core factors needed to find the right charging strategy, while deliberately excluding factors which only have a minor effect. The method is intended to be used to start developing an electrification strategy and can serve as a tool to decide which solutions to investigate further with more detailed methods. A cost–benefit analysis, which includes both monetary and subjective measures, is used to analyse various types of chargers and charging strategies. The novelty of the article lies in applying a systems perspective that enables a more comprehensive evaluation of charging strategies than studies that focus on specific operational factors. The results highlight five operational factors for evaluation: charging cost, productivity, flexibility, robustness, and business risk. The findings suggest that many hauliers can manage most, if not all, of their charging needs independently. Consequently, it is likely that many can begin electrifying soon, as public charging is often not critical for the electrification of their trucks. Furthermore, the article presents a decision tree to create an overview of how different driving characteristics match different charging strategies.