Data Exchange for Road Freight Decarbonisation

Flexible Power Systems (FPS) have developed a novel logistics and electric vehicle platform for the optimisation of battery electric light commercial vehicle ('eLCV') delivery schedules. The platform integrates electric vehicle and charging infrastructure constraints with logistics requirements to optimise the delivery schedule. Demonstrated benefits in light commercial vehicle fleets are reductions in the number of vehicles and charging stations and lower energy costs.

FPS are now developing a variant of the existing platform targeting the heavy-duty vehicle delivery sector. This sector is much more complex with interactions between supplier and the customer vehicle fleets, and intermodal between charging resources at rail heads and ports. Efficient sharing of charging resources at different locations between different organisations would improve the efficiency of the whole logistics system and reduce costs.

However, this requires the sharing of commercially sensitive data and the collection of data which organisations currently have no commercial interest in doing. These factors pose a significant barrier to adoption of this approach.

In this project, FPS and Cambridge University will work together to map and investigate the feasibility of data exchange standards and protocols to unlock the opportunity of integration and optimisation of multiple owner-managed charging infrastructures. Both electric and hydrogen fuelled zero emissions vehicles will be considered. Both types of vehicles are likely to form part of the future HGV vehicle fleet and will have significant constraints in range and availability of refuelling / charging infrastructure.