Exploring the potential of urban freight electrification in developing economy

Abstract

In India, freight cargo transportation accounts for nearly 67 per cent of all goods moved by road transportation and as demand for commodities continues to rise, it is anticipated that goods movement would expand to 15.6 trillion tonne-km in 2050. The movement of commodities across the country and beyond its borders has benefited millions of people, making urban freight transportation vital to the city's social and economic development. In India, annual domestic sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles have fallen from 46 percent in 2001-02 to 35 percent in 2013. Light commercial vehicle sales increased from 27 percent to 50 percent within the same time period. This has resulted in an increase in transportation emissions, causes air pollution and higher cost. Light commercial vehicles account for around 74 percent of all urban freight transportation, and travel about 20-25 km inside the city with a maximum average daily distance of 130 kilometres, making Delhi, India's capital, the dominant contributor to urban pollution and the major pollution generated by Light commercial vehicles account for around 74 percent of all urban freight transportation, and travel about 20-25 kilometres within the city with a maximum average daily distance of 130 kilometres. To meet the growing demand for freight transportation, Indian stakeholders must work to transition to a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient freight paradigm without exacerbating existing environmental externalities, such as a switch from traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) to battery electric vehicles (BEV). The total cost of ownership of battery electric vehicles with various fuel variations in urban freight operations using light commercial vehicles for a perishable item is assessed in this study. Sensitivity analysis for TCO calculations can show how factors like vehicle use, subsidies, lower battery costs, and so on affect the cost of owning a car. The outcome of this study is to look into the possibilities of urban freight electrification for fruit and vegetable distribution in Delhi using light commercial vehicles, as well as policy-oriented proposals and measures to boost the use of electric vehicles.