Seasonal Energy Efficiency: A Case Study of an Urban Distribution Battery Electric Truck Operating in Brazil

Abstract Electric heavy-duty trucks fully powered by batteries are already a reality in European, North American, and Chinese cities, thanks to strict CO2 emission regulations. These regulations promote zero greenhouse gas emissions in the road transport sector through technologies such as battery-powered electric trucks (BETs). The increasing prevalence of BETs necessitates an assessment of their energy efficiency in different weather and driving conditions, since they directly impact operational costs and, thus, influence the acceptance of BETs by companies and fleet owners. In this sense, evaluating seasonal energy efficiency may drive improvements in technology performance, vehicle specifications, and driving conditions to reduce energy consumption and losses. To understand and quantify the factors affecting energy consumption and driving range in real-world driving conditions, various studies on energy efficiency have been conducted worldwide; nevertheless, South American metropolitan areas lack such attention. Therefore, this paper presents the main findings of an experimental study of BETs in terms of energy consumption, driving range, and energy recharging due to operational and climatic factors.