Electrifying light commercial vehicles for last-mile deliveries: Environmental and economic perspectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in online shopping and home deliveries, driving the demand for delivery vehicles. Last-mile delivery vehicles are one of the rampant carbon dioxide emitters, with zero-direct emission alternatives as the glaringly obvious solution to this problem. To address this issue, we present a comprehensive evaluation of the total cost of ownership (TCO) and life cycle environmental impacts of three types of light commercial vehicles (LCVs): internal combustion engine, battery electric (BE), and hydrogen fuel cell (FC) electric LCVs in Germany and California. In this study, we present the first analysis of the life cycle impacts of an FC-LCV with a lower fuel cell system power but a larger traction battery capacity referred to as a “Mid-FC” vehicle configuration. In addition, the research establishes various scenarios to examine the effect of a greener electricity grid and hydrogen produced from water electrolysis on the overall LCV life cycle impacts. Results suggest that BE LCVs are already cost-competitive in both the studied regions. Replacing a diesel LCV with a BE alternative can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15%–48% over the LCV's lifetime and up to 69% in a low-carbon grid scenario. The study also found that a Mid-FC LCV has lower environmental impacts than an FC counterpart if the hydrogen is produced via water electrolysis powered by low-carbon electricity. These findings provide critical insights for fleet operators seeking to balance cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability in their LCV selection.