Modeling Home Grocery Delivery Using Electric Vehicles: Preliminary Results of an Agent-Based Simulation Study

Abstract

This paper presents preliminary results of an agent-based simulation study aimed at establishing whether a fleet of electric vans with different charging options can match the performance of a diesel fleet. We describe a base model imitating the operations of a real-world retailer using agents. We then introduce electric vehicles and charging hubs into our model. We evaluate how the use of electric vehicles, charging power and charging hubs influence the retailer’s operations. Our simulation experiment suggests that, though they are useful, technological interventions alone are not sufficient to match the performance of a diesel fleet. Hence, reorganization of the urban delivery system is required in order to reduce carbon emissions significantly.