Unlocking Efficiency in Electric Freight: How Autonomy and MCS Reduce Battery Requirements for Long-Haul Trucks

Sammanfattning

Battery electric trucks and autonomous driving systems are each approaching commercial viability for long-haul freight. Current development treats these technologies as independent improvements to diesel operations. This thesis examines the operational and economic synergies that emerge when autonomy and Megawatt Charging System infrastructure are deployed together rather than in isolation. The analysis employs a deterministic simulation model of the 540 km E4 corridor between Stockholm and Helsingborg. Four scenarios combine operational modes (driver-operated, autonomous) with charging technologies (Combined Charging System at 350 kW, Megawatt Charging System at 1.2 MW). Battery capacity varies from 400 to 900 kWh to identify optimal configurations across one-way trips, round trips, and 14-day continuous operations. Autonomous operation reduces costs by approximately 50% and increases productivity from 9 to 18.5-22.5 round trips over 14 days. Megawatt charging adds a 5-7% cost premium per ton-kilometer but enables 22% higher productivity under continuous autonomous operation. The 500 kWh battery configuration emerges as optimal under autonomous operation. Combining autonomous driving with megawatt charging achieves higher productivity than either technology delivers independently while enabling smaller battery configurations. The findings demonstrate that autonomy transforms the optimization problem from regulatory compliance to pure economics. Megawatt charging addresses charging duration as the primary bottleneck once driver constraints are removed. This synergy enables competitive electric long-haul operations within the modeled conditions.