Impacts of vehicle fleet electrification in Sweden – a simulation-based assessment of long-distance trips

Electrifying road transport is seen as one of the key components in decreasing the carbon footprint of the society as a whole. Recent developments in electric drivetrain and battery technology have helped to design vehicles with ranges that make them independent of public charging infrastructure during most sub-urban and commuting trips. Once long-haul trips are planned, however, these vehicles require a dense network of charging infrastructure. In this paper, the impact of a large-scale electrification of vehicles in long-distance trips is evaluated by combining an agent-based long distance transport model of Sweden with a detailed model of energy consumption and battery charging. Energy consumption and charging schemes are simulated for different types of vehicles and chargers. In a first application, all vehicle traffic is electrified. Results demonstrate that the daily estimate for energy consumption is in the region of 150 GWh. This equals roughly 40% of the current Swedish electricity consumption. Energy consumption is the highest along in the motorway network connecting the south of the country (Malmö, Göteborg and Stockholm). Along these motorways, also the highest demand for charging infrastructure arises. Nationwide, two peak times for vehicle charging seem to exist: One is around lunch time and another in the mid-afternoon. During the first peak, overall energy demand is presumably the highest.