Evaluation of two different transport options for freight of heavy battery cells : a case study

Abstract: With the change that is taking place in the automotive industry, where production goes from producing internal combustion motor vehicles (ICE) to battery electric vehicles (BEV), this will lead to an increase in transportation of batteries. Batteries are components that are heavy, expensive, and classified as dangerous goods, which means higher demands on transport. The European commission has set a goal of being the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. This places high demands on transport and therefore it is of interest to investigate the most suitable modes of transport. The study aims to investigate whether transport by train or truck is best suited when battery cells for electric cars are to be transported. The factors that were examined are how the transports affect the environment through the amount of carbon dioxide emissions, the degree of filling that the transports achieve, its impact on tied-up capital and which alternative is best suited for the transport of heavy and dangerous goods. A delimitation was made to only study Volvo Car's emerging transport flow of battery cells somewhere in Central Europe to Sweden. The methods used in this report were semi-structured interview as well as document analysis and literature review. Interviews were conducted with Volvo Cars and with Green Cargo. Document analyses have been made of material produced by Volvo Cars. The results of this study showed that trains were best suited from an environmental perspective and in terms of the degree of filling, while the truck was best in terms of delivery precision. Concerning tied-up capital, benefits were seen for both modes of transport depending on the train's number of departures per week and how the train flow was planned. Regarding the aspect that batteries are classified as dangerous goods, no obstacles were seen regardless of the choice of transport method. This thesis intends to provide companies with information that can be of interest when choosing mode of transport. It will be applicable to stakeholders that transport heavy goods and that are in a state where they want to review their transport alternatives.