Adoption of electric vehicles in last-mile food distribution : opportunities and challenges
Safavi, Anita (2025)
Diplomityö
2025
School of Engineering Science, Tuotantotalous
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20251211118048
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20251211118048
Tiivistelmä
The shift to the low-emission transport system worldwide has drawn attention to electric vehicles (EVs) to decrease the environmental impact of logistics operations. Despite increased adoption of EVs in various transport industries, the adoption of EVs in the last- mile delivery of food is still low. Cold-chain operations require strict temperature control, unpredictable routes, and high energy use, making electrification more difficult than in standard deliveries.
This paper discusses the obstacles, opportunities, and future perspectives of EV adoption in refrigerated last-mile logistics and how all these elements can combine to define the viability of the concept. The thematic analysis was used to analyse semi-structured interviews with professionals in the food logistics sector to identify the essential patterns and come up with an overall picture of adoption conditions.
Results indicate that the limitations in the technical aspects, such as shorter range, payload limitations, loss of winter performance, and high-power usage of refrigeration units are directly related to the high investment cost, uncertainty of total cost of ownership, and the lack of adequate charging infrastructure. Meanwhile, sustainability goals, customer needs, and the development of digital tools such as real-time monitoring, route optimization, and smart charging all work together as significant enablers that can reduce operational risks and facilitate transition. This research offers a combined model that links technical, economic, policy, sustainability, and digital aspects. The findings have provided both managerial and policy implications regarding the choice of routes, investment planning, and focused support mechanisms, as well as provided an academic contribution to the existing knowledge on EV adoption in cold-chain logistics.
This paper discusses the obstacles, opportunities, and future perspectives of EV adoption in refrigerated last-mile logistics and how all these elements can combine to define the viability of the concept. The thematic analysis was used to analyse semi-structured interviews with professionals in the food logistics sector to identify the essential patterns and come up with an overall picture of adoption conditions.
Results indicate that the limitations in the technical aspects, such as shorter range, payload limitations, loss of winter performance, and high-power usage of refrigeration units are directly related to the high investment cost, uncertainty of total cost of ownership, and the lack of adequate charging infrastructure. Meanwhile, sustainability goals, customer needs, and the development of digital tools such as real-time monitoring, route optimization, and smart charging all work together as significant enablers that can reduce operational risks and facilitate transition. This research offers a combined model that links technical, economic, policy, sustainability, and digital aspects. The findings have provided both managerial and policy implications regarding the choice of routes, investment planning, and focused support mechanisms, as well as provided an academic contribution to the existing knowledge on EV adoption in cold-chain logistics.