Groundbreaking Challenges of Deploying Battery-Electric Terminal Trucks in Container Terminals

To avoid a climate crisis, we need to drastically change the way we ship goods. Therefore, container terminals must also reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible. Since terminal trucks are the most commonly used container handling equipment for horizontal transportation in container terminals worldwide, a suitable starting point can be found here. They are often used to gether with rubber-tired gantry cranes. Combined, they are accountable for up to 70 % of the container terminal’s greenhouse gas emissions. One way to reduce these emissions is to electrify terminal trucks. This paper shows the groundbreaking implications of deploying battery-elec tric terminal trucks in container terminals. To do so, this paper approaches the topic from a management and a technological perspective. On the one side, po tential emission and cost savings, and on the other side current battery technolo gies, required charging infrastructure, and possible charging strategies are de scripted. With this knowledge, a decision model is developed to deploy battery electric terminal truck in container terminals. The decision model bases on infor mation collected in an extensive literature search and a cost calculation.