Simulation-based Comparison of Electric and Diesel Medium-Duty Trucks using Real-World Drive Cycles

The freight transport (logistics) sector accounts for about 5% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs above 2 crore people  Further, more than 70% of the country’s freight is transported via road through more than 50 lakh medium- and heavy-duty trucks (MHDTs, gross vehicle weight [GVW] > 3.5 t;). These MHDTs, which account for a mere 2% of the on-road vehicle fleet, are predominately diesel-run and disproportionately contribute to 45% of sectoral emissions. For India to reach its climate targets as per the Paris Agreement, electrification of its carbon intensive road freight transport sector is crucial.

Electric three-wheeler freight vehicles—offered by Mahindra and Piaggio original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and primarily used for urban deliveries—have been on Indian roads for some time now and are gaining interest from city logistics operators. Tata ACE EV and Switch IeV are other electric freight vehicles in the sub 3.5 t category available in the Indian market. Barring a 55-t model by IPL Tech Electric Pvt Ltd, a 14 t by Ashok Leyland, and two models (7 t and 9 t) by Tata Motors, electric MHDTs (e MHDTs) are yet to be commercially available. Therefore, to support adoption of e-MHDTs and attract attention from stakeholders, they have been included in the PM E-DRIVE scheme with an outlay of INR 500 crore.

Given the early stages of domestic e-MHDT adoption, it is vital to examine their performance, particularly in Indian conditions. Hence, we evaluated, through simulation, the fuel efficiency and emissions of a 12 t battery electric truck and compared with that of its diesel counterparts for the same driving cycle.