Electric Truck Adoption: Infrastructure Energy Burden and Economic Impacts

Abstract

Truck electrification is increasingly recognized as a promising approach to reduce energy consumption and operating costs in the freight transportation sector. The added axle loads of heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEVs) due to battery weight raise concerns about accelerated pavement deterioration and associated long-term costs. This study evaluates the energy demand and economic impacts of HDEVs on flexible pavements using a combined life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) approach. Three flexible pavement structures commonly found in Illinois, including typical thick asphalt, full-depth asphalt, and stone matrix asphalt (SMA) placed over portland cement concrete (PCC), were analyzed under different HDEV loading configurations, acceleration conditions, and levels of market adoption. The results showed that energy consumption during the use stage decreased by 63% at full electrification compared to the internal combustion (IC) baseline. The use stage costs also declined by 56%, reflecting significant operational savings. While energy use and costs in the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) stage increased at higher adoption levels due to higher axle loads, total life-cycle costs decreased for the full-depth and SMA over PCC sections at moderate-to-high HDEV market penetration. The SMA over PCC section provided the most balanced performance, combining lower operational energy with greater structural resilience. These findings demonstrate that electrifying freight transport can significantly reduce life-cycle energy demand and costs. Achieving these outcomes requires strategic pavement design and rehabilitation planning. In addition, the loading characteristics of HDEVs must be considered to ensure a durable and efficient infrastructure over time.