E-truck efficiency through smart routing
A new study by Fraunhofer ISI and the Swedish tech firm Einride shows that digitalised fleet planning increases the cost-efficiency and viability of electric trucks.
Based on 38,000 deliveries and 200 diesel trucks operated by German retailer Rewe, the research compared one-to-one diesel replacement with an optimised, AI and software-based planning.
The result: while simple replacement covered only 32% of total kilometres, intelligent fleet planning achieved 54%. Electrification of up to 85% of payload was possible. Optimised routing also cut fleet-wide operating costs by 8% versus diesel, compared to only 3% in the one-to-one scenario. The study concludes that data-driven route and charging strategies enable higher vehicle utilisation and reduce battery size needs. (js)