Bidirectional trucking: Switzerland’s DPD tests fleet electrification

As part of the federally funded TEC-OFF research project, Swiss parcel service provider DPD is testing bidirectional charging with its vehicle fleet to help close potential power gaps at peak times on the power grid.

In the research project, coordinated alongside researchers from ZHAW School of Engineering and supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, intelligent and bidirectional charging is being investigated using a DPD fleet at project site Wolf in Basel as a case study.

Insights gained from the project, states DPD, will help close the emerging electricity gap at peak times and stabilise the grid.

The Swiss company, which is part of Geopost – Europe’s second largest parcel delivery network, says that logistics fleet electrification is a challenge extending beyond purchasing EVs and installing charging stations.

Rather, an obstacle that needs to be addressed is avoiding overloading the grid and minimising the costs associated with peak loads. Thus, through partnerships, the company is seeking to develop both grid-tied and off-grid solutions for electrification.

“Our aim is to deploy our fleet of over 800 vehicles in such a way that we can optimise electricity costs, avoid expensive grid upgrades and contribute to achieving Switzerland’s energy targets,” says Ville Heimgartner, senior innovation project & sustainability manager at DPD Switzerland.

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Bidirectional trucking

According to the parcel delivery company in a release, electric trucks have batteries that can contain up to 1,000kWh of energy and have a bidirectional charging capacity of over 100kW – ten times higher than electric cars. Second-use truck batteries, which have to be replaced after a certain number of kilometres but can still be used to stabilise the grid, can also be used.

According to DPD, project site Wolf was selected because it provides a realistic analysis and testing environment for bidirectional charging with the DPD Green City Hub and the former Smart City Lab Basel.

In addition to bidirectional charging, other measures for optimising the overall system are being investigated, including needs-based charging of vehicles throughout the day and investments in batteries with a greater output than necessary for parcel delivery routes.

The project, which will run in Basel until autumn 2025, also aims to provide insights into the conditions under which a logistics fleet can be integrated into a private consumption community of buildings or companies (known as a ZEV in Switzerland).

To ensure the cost-effectiveness of the solutions, a simulation model is being developed that calculates total and life-cycle costs (TCO/LCC).

Project TEC-OFF

The research is being run as part of the Techno-Economic Grid Connection Optimisation for Electric Freight Fleets (TEC-OFF) project, supported by the Office of Energy’s Research Programme Mobility and a consortium.

Within the consortium, the Institute for Sustainable Development at the ZHAW School of Engineering is a research partner and knowledge and tech transfer specialist novatlantis is responsible for dissemination and project management.

Technology company sun2wheel is developing the software and hardware for bidirectional charging and needs-based load management.

Said Sandro Schopfer, CEO and co-founder of sun2wheel: “In this project, we hope to understand how smart load management and storage elements can avoid expensive connection capacity upgrades while ensuring the electrification of the DPD fleet at the same time.”

“To facilitate the complete electrification of freight fleets, we are developing innovative solutions that place minimal strain on the grids and guarantee the full availability of the fleet,” said professor Maike Scherrer, head of sustainable supply chain management and mobility at the Institute for Sustainable Development.

Other partners include IWB and SBB Immobilien Development, which owns the Wolf site in Basel.

armasuisse, Designwerk Technologies AG, EVTEC AG, Galliker Transport AG, CKW Gebäudetechnik AG, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and PostAuto AG are also part of the advisory group.