Electrification of heavy-duty vehicles is one possible solution that can take us towards greener logistics. Actors, such as logistics service providers (LSPs) and shippers, are central in electrification of logistics, since they are the ones who will realise the transition. Currently, heavy-duty battery electric vehicles (HBEVs) suffer from limitations in range, lack of charging infrastructure, and high investment costs which may be reasons why the adoption is going slow. Previous research points to the need for interaction between actors to overcome these challenges and to facilitate the adoption of HBEVs, where one way to interact is through coordination. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to explore coordination between actors when implementing heavy-duty battery electric vehicles in road freight transport, and is investigated with the support of three research questions (RQs).

This thesis takes its theoretical starting point in the research areas of green logistics, actors in logistics systems, and coordination which was studied through six coordination mechanisms. An explorative approach to the purpose was deemed suitable for this thesis, according to the novelty of HBEVs in logistics and the lack of studies on coordination in this specific context. The research takes a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews and focus groups, in combination with literature reviews.

In RQ1, which actors can be part of electrified logistics systems?, one of the main findings is an actor framework. It presents actors in electrified logistics systems, such as LSPs and shippers, and thereafter divides them into central actors, semi-central actors and stakeholders. This division is useful to increase understanding of which actors are involved in electrification and how they impact the system in different ways.

In RQ2, how can LSPs coordinate with shippers to facilitate the adoption of HBEVs in freight transport?, the findings suggest that to enable for coordination, both actors must have a common belief in the need for greening logistics. Shippers can, through the coordination mechanism direct supervision, demand transport services with HBEVs and thereby initiate the use of such vehicles. In the next step, the transport assignments can be coordinated through the coordination mechanism mutual adjustment, such as changes in lead-times. The LSP-shipper relationship is also characterised by a lack of knowledge regarding electrification which currently inhibits coordination through the coordination mechanisms standardisation of work and standardisation of output. Therefore, significant efforts are required from both actors when they instead need to coordinate through mutual adjustment.

In RQ3, how can LSPs coordinate with other actors to facilitate the adoption of HBEVs in freight transport?, the findings point to needs for coordination between LSPs and other central actors identified in RQ1 such as hauliers, truck manufacturers and energy companies. For example, the findings point to coordination needs with the haulier resembling the LSP-shipper relationship. There is also a need for deepened relationship with the truck manufacturer and coordination through the coordination mechanism standardisation of output, which is currently lacking in the relationship.

In sum, the findings point to a need for increased knowledge about electrification and its impact on logistics from an actor perspective, if HBEVs are to be integrated into logistics systems successfully. The findings point to the need for involvement of different actors within different sectors and joint efforts through coordination in order to achieve such a transition. After all, to achieve a fully electrified logistics system, where electric vehicles are the first choice in road freight, there is a need to get all actors on board to build the logistics systems of the future. 

Elektrifiering av tunga fordon är en möjlig lösning som kan ta oss mot grönare logistik. Aktörer, som logistikföretag (LSP:er) och varuägare är, på grund av sina roller som transportör och transportköpare, centrala i omställningen till ett elektrifierat logistiksystem. Tunga batteridrivna lastbilar (HBEVs) kämpar idag med utmaningar kring begränsad räckvidd, brist på laddinfrastruktur och höga investeringskostnader, vilket medför nya förutsättningar i logistiksystemen, och kan vara en anledning till att införandet av HBEVs går långsamt. Tidigare forskning lyfter behovet av samarbete mellan aktörer för att hantera dessa utmaningar och underlätta införandet av HBEVs, där ett sätt att samarbeta på är genom koordinering. Därför är syftet med denna licentiatavhandling att utforska koordinering mellan aktörer vid implementering av HBEVs inom godstransporter på väg. Syftet undersöks med hjälp av tre forskningsfrågor.

Denna licentiatavhandling tar sin teoretiska utgångspunkt i tre forskningsområden: grön logistik, aktörer inom logistiksystem, och koordinering som studerades genom sex koordineringsmekanismer. En explorativ ansats användes eftersom HBEVs är ett relativt nytt fenomen inom logistik, och det saknas studier om hur aktörer kan koordinera i detta specifika sammanhang. Forskningen är kvalitativ och baseras på semistrukturerade intervjuer och fokusgrupper, i kombination med litteraturöversikter.

I forskningsfråga 1, vilka aktörer kan ingå i elektrifierade logistiksystem?, är resultatet ett ramverk av aktörer. Ramverket presenterar aktörer involverade i elektrifierade logistiksystem, såsom LSP:er och varuägare, och delar därefter in dem i: centrala aktörer, semicentrala aktörer och intressenter. Denna uppdelning är användbar för att öka förståelsen för vilka aktörer som är involverade i elektrifiering och hur de påverkar systemet på olika sätt.

I forskningsfråga 2, hur kan LSP:er koordinera med varuägare för att underlätta införandet av HBEVs i godstransporter?, tyder resultatet på att för att möjliggöra koordinering måste båda aktörerna ha en gemensam syn på behovet av grönare logistik. Varuägare kan genom koordineringsmekanismen direct supervision efterfråga transporttjänster med HBEVs, och därigenom initiera användningen av sådana lastbilar. I nästa steg kan transportuppdragen koordineras genom koordineringsmekanismen mutual adjustment, till exempel att möjliggöra för ändrade ledtider. Relationen mellan LSP:er och varuägare kännetecknas också av låg kunskap kring elektrifiering i stort, vilket i dag hämmar koordinering genom koordineringsmekanismerna standardisation of work och standardisation of output, och därför krävs stora ansträngningar från båda aktörerna när de istället behöver koordinera genom mutual adjustment.

I forskningsfråga 3, hur kan LSP:er koordinera med andra aktörer för att underlätta införandet av HBEVs i godstransporter?, pekar resultatet på behov av koordinering mellan LSP:er och andra centrala aktörer som identifierats i RQ1 såsom åkerier och lastbilstillverkare. Resultatet pekar till exempel på att koordineringsbehovet med åkeriet påminner om relationen mellan LSP:er och varuägare, men också på ett behov av fördjupad relation med lastbilstillverkaren och koordinering genom koordineringsmekanismen standardisation of output, som för närvarande saknas.

Sammanfattningsvis visar resultatet på ett behov av mer kunskap om hur elektrifiering påverkar logistik och hur HBEVs kan integreras i logistiksystemen framgångsrikt. Resultaten pekar också på behovet av att involvera olika aktörer inom olika sektorer, som behöver koordinera sinsemellan för att åstadkomma en sådan omställning. Slutligen, för att uppnå ett helt elektrifierat logistiksystem, där HBEVs är förstahandsvalet för godstransporter, behöver alla aktörer vara med på resan och tillsammans bygga framtidens logistiksystem.  

While electrification of freight deliveries has the potential to heavily reduce the sector's negative impact, there is a clear lack of understanding how logistics systems are affected when electric freight vehicles are implemented. The purpose of the paper is to present an overview of the area and identify major gaps in the literature. A systematic literature review was conducted, with an initial sample of 353 papers, finally resulting in 62 papers after several exclusion steps. A descriptive analysis showed that the area is growing fast and that a vast majority of the papers applied mathematical methods with transport data. Further, five categories were deemed of interest in relation to logistics and electrification in the analysed literature: transport operation, charging, cost, actors, and sustainability. Each category is elaborated on and described in the paper. Additionally, the discussion includes several research gaps that the paper proposes need to be addressed to achieve viable electrified logistics systems and the gaps resulted in a research agenda with seven bullet points aiming to guide future research. The research agenda include, how planning of logistics systems is affected when charging is included; how logistics performance is affected when adopting electric trucks, and there is a need to include actors and their perspectives to a larger extent than what is done in the current literature. By highlighting what is missing in the literature, this paper strives to be an important addition to achieve viable electrified logistics systems, which can ultimately lead to a reduction of the freight sector's negative climate impact.

Electrification of freight transport is a way to heavily reduce the freight sector's environmental impact. However, charging of electric trucks is a major challenge, and charge point operator (CPO) thereby become crucial in electrified logistics systems. This study explored different actors in the position of CPO, what is required, and what roles they take. An embedded case study was used, based on interviews with 20 respondents. The results show that a wide variety of actors can position themselves as CPO and in different charging set-ups, where, for example, logistics service providers (LSPs) could utilize private charging at terminal, while also offer public charging along the road network. Other actors expected to take a role as CPO include shipper, fuel stations, energy companies, and truck manufacturers. In terms of resources, activities, and interaction for CPOs, these coincided to a large extent among actors, such as necessary possession of charging hardware and software, and necessary interaction power grid actors. Furthermore, this study suggests five distinctive roles of CPOs that actors take: gatekeeper, accessory provider, contributor, facilitator, and orchestrator. By focusing on the unexplored role of CPO, this study has important implications for both research and practice.

Purpose: Electrification of freight trucks challenges logistics systems in many ways, for example the trucks have limited range, reduced payload, and charging needs to be included in the system. Current actors must adjust to new prerequisites while new actors enter the system, such as energy suppliers. Hence, there is a need to build an understanding of electrified logistics systems by focus on how central actors are connected to it. The purpose of the paper is to describe electrified logistics systems through an actor perspective.

Research Approach: The paper targets how an electrified logistics system can be described and how actors are connected to the system. Empirical data is collected through interviews and workshops with representatives from actors who are actively working with electrification of freight transports.  

Findings and Originality: The findings showed that both traditional actors, such as logistics companies and transport buyers, and new actors, such as energy suppliers and charge point operators, are important in electrified logistics systems. Through conceptualisation of logistics systems and how actors are connected the system, the findings present a five-layer model.

Research Impact: The paper provides a comprehensive identification of actors involved in electrification of freight transport, as well as, highlighting actors that are more central in the transition, something missing in the current literature.  

Practical Impact: Electrification forces logistics practitioners to alter their view of the logistic system and its actors. This paper provides a holistic view of the complex logistics systems the actors are a part of and can thereby help practitioners adjust to new prerequisites.

Purpose: In logistics systems, the implementation of heavy-duty battery electric vehicles (HBEVs) challenges actors in the transport system, and there is a need for actors to coordinate in various ways. The purpose is to explore how coordination between LSPs and relevant actors in electrified logistics systems can facilitate the adoption of HBEVs.

Design/methodology/approach: The study takes a qualitative approach and relies on four interviews with three LSPs as the empirical basis. Theoretically, coordination mechanisms provide a starting-point for the analysis.  

Findings: The findings highlight coordination mechanisms at play in the on-going electrification of logistics systems, as well as the potential use of coordination mechanisms not yet utilised.

Research limitations/implications: The study is performed in a Swedish setting and explore relevant actors and the connections between actors through a coordination lens, thus bridging a gap in the literature.

Practical implications: The results can help actors, such as logistics companies and transport buying companies, to understand how, and with whom, to coordinate to implement long-haul HBEVs.

Social implications: HBEVs are expected to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases and gives possibility to charge with renewable sources, hence the need to support the implementation.

Original/value: While much research into electrification focuses on quantitative studies with a mathematical approach, this paper takes a much-needed actor perspective and highlights how actors can coordinate to carry out a successful transition to fossil free transportation. 

Purpose:Electrification of freight transports is an area that is under fast development, and there is a need to capture the current status of the research. The purpose is to create an overview of the area of electrified freight transport and describe how logistical aspects have been taken into consideration in the literature

Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review has been carried out to create the overview and laying the foundation for identification of research gaps. 

Findings: The results suggest that there has been a lack of focus on qualitative methods, on actors in general, and inclusion of logistical aspects when studying electrification of freight. 

Research limitations/implications: Based on the overview of the area, a future research agenda has been proposed that highlight different gaps in the current literature. 

Practical implications: Within the area of electrification of freight transports, the industry and research are evolving simultaneously, and the proposed research agenda can thereby function as a guide for both.

Social implications: Electrification is important in reducing the sector’s negative impact on the environment.

Original/value: This paper is one of the first to provide an overview of electrification of freight transport with the perspective on the effects on logistics systems.