The transportation sector is heavily reliant on fossil fuels and accounts for a significant share of global CO2 equivalent emissions. To address this, electrification of transport is a strategy stated by the European Commission and the Swedish government. A transition towards an electrified transportation sector is underway. To accelerate the development, strategies for the deployment of charging infrastructure are crucial. The absence of public charging infrastructure is a current barrier to the adoption of heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEVs). As a result, the development of charging infrastructure is a relevant topic to investigate. 

An additional consideration is the different technologies that have entered the market of charging infrastructure. As the technologies obtain different characteristics, there are numerous factors to consider when deploying charging infrastructure. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate charging infrastructure for heavy-duty electric vehicles, where the scope is defined to include the three charging technologies; DC-fast charging, DC-fast charging with external battery, and battery swapping. The thesis includes the perspectives of economic, technical, and environmental factors. The purpose of the thesis is to contribute to the decision of which strategy to adopt when deploying charging infrastructure in a Swedish context. 

The methodology for this thesis comprises an explorative approach that includes both quantitative and qualitative considerations, to assess the defined research questions. The explorative approach was chosen for the investigation of the charging technologies, enabling flexibility and iterative revisions. To evaluate the charging technologies, six relevant criteria are determined. The criteria are chosen by their relevance for the development of charging infrastructure, and the evaluation will be approached from a quantitative and theoretical perspective. The criteria that are important to consider when developing charging infrastructure are in this thesis concluded to be; investment, charging time, yearly electricity cost, climate impact, scalability, and, technological lock-in. These criteria cover economic, technical, and environmental aspects. The quantitative approach is adopted for four out of six criteria; investment, charging time, yearly electricity cost, and climate impact. The approach involved a systematic collection of data, specific to each criterion, where the purpose was to obtain valid data on which the calculations are based. The results are being validated and iterated as necessary. The two remaining criteria, scalability, and technological lock-in, are considered from a theoretical perspective, where the literature study acts as the ground for the evaluation. To complement the literature study, two interviews and one workshop is conducted. This comprises the result for the un-quantifiable criteria. 

The results of the thesis are that DC-fast charging has beneficial investment costs but faces challenges related to load management, high electricity costs, and potentially larger climate impact than the other technologies. However, DC-fast charging is considered more mature than the other two technologies. DC-fast charging with external battery involves high investment costs due to the battery energy storage system. However, with current conditions, the pay-back time is not beneficial. Although, the results imply that with higher electricity costs or reduced investment costs for external battery, the solution will be more competitive. The external battery enables load management, resulting in lower yearly electricity costs and climate impact. It overcomes limitations related to grid capacity. Battery swapping offers quick recharge time and load management capabilities, reducing energy costs and emissions. However, it requires extensive collaboration, business model transformation, and policy changes in Sweden. Compatibility between vehicles, swapping stations, and batteries is crucial for adoption. Policies and standards are shown to play an important role when referring to the deployment of charging infrastructure, where the implementation of regulations could help accelerate the adoption in Sweden.

The contributions of this study lie in the comprehensive evaluation of the charging technologies considering the six criteria. Furthermore, the study fills a gap in the literature by comparing different charging technologies based on the identified criteria and addressing the research questions. It highlights the challenges and advantages of DC-fast charging, DC-fast charging with external battery, and battery swapping, specifically in the context of Sweden.