Electrification of Light commercial vehicles in Urban Areas
Supriya Bhutani, Dhivya Prabakaran, Naina Gupta
Abstract
The proliferation of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) in urban areas has revolutionized urban operations, playing a crucial role in facilitating diverse commercial activities and shaping the urban mobility landscape. However, the exponential growth of LCVs and the freight sector has raised environmental concerns due to heightened air pollution, carbon emissions, and traffic congestion. To address these pressing issues and explore sustainable alternatives, this research aims to investigate the impacts of LCVs on the environment and propose effective strategies for mitigating their negative effects, thereby promoting a greener and more sustainable urban transportation system. This paper discusses an overview of alternative fuels and an analysis of the viability of electric vehicles for local level distribution in Dehradun, India. The literature review provided an overview regarding the criteria used by previous studies for public charging infrastructure facility to specify the optimal locations of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs). The research findings demonstrate that while the initial investment cost of electric LCVs is significant, their total lifecycle cost proves to be substantially lower than that of gasoline, diesel, and Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. With a cost advantage of 26% over diesel, 25% over gasoline, and 2% over CNG, electric light commercial vehicles present a compelling economic case for fleet operators and individual owners. Public-private partnerships, comprehensive awareness campaigns should be encouraged to educate, drive collaboration, & accelerate the deployment of customized solutions tailored to the needs of LCV operators.