Comprehensive Techno-Economic Analysis of Battery-Electric Trucks: Evaluating Battery Aging Impact for Regional Delivery Missions

This study presents a detailed techno-economic assessment of battery-electric trucks, incorporating battery aging effects within a total cost of ownership (TCO) model. With increasingly stringent emissions regulations, battery-electric trucks are becoming a viable solution in Europe. However, due to uncertainty regarding their long-term cost-effectiveness and fleet operators’ profit-oriented priorities, there is an urgent need for accurate TCO assessment. Existing studies often overlook or oversimplify the impact of battery aging on overall costs. This work addresses this gap by introducing battery aging-related costs through an empirical battery degradation model, evaluated over the vehicle’s lifetime. Key aging costs include a refined estimation of battery residual value, influenced by degradation and remaining battery life, and potential battery replacement expenses. A case study on a VECTO group 9 truck used for regional delivery missions examines different payloads and battery pack sizes. Furthermore, we consider two different end-of-life (EoL) threshold scenarios for the battery pack, which impact battery replacement expenses and the truck’s residual value. Costs are categorized as battery-independent or battery-dependent, with battery-dependent costs covering purchase price, energy carrier, residual value, and battery replacement cost. In addition to battery aging that impacts both replacement costs and residual value, the results indicate that energy carrier cost is among the most significant economic factors.