Nachhaltige Logistik im Handel: Welche Potenziale & Herausforderungen bietet E-Mobilität in der Transportlogistik und wie gestaltet man diese effizient?

Abstract

Global CO2 emissions have been rising continuously for decades. Established climate targets and mandated CO2 reductions pose significant challenges for businesses. Freight transport contributes substantially to these emissions, leading retail companies to intensively explore alternative transport systems for several years. Furthermore, unstable diesel prices and geopolitical events complicate the use of diesel fuel. Against this backdrop, this master's thesis investigates the potentials and challenges of e-mobility in retail logistics and defines its efficient application. The thesis builds upon a theoretical part that discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and use cases of electric commercial vehicles. To formulate valid results, the theoretical foundations are complemented by qualitative research. This involves conducting expert interviews with companies already utilizing electric trucks (e-trucks). These best-practice examples are subsequently described and compared. Ultimately, this will form the basis for practical recommendations, assisting companies in accurately assessing the opportunities and potentials of e-mobility. The thesis also aims to provide a theoretical foundation for businesses considering the implementation of e-trucks. The findings indicate that e-trucks have a very suitable application in the goods distribution of retail companies. However, for most companies, current utilization is limited to this specific use case due to existing technical and economic conditions. For successful implementation, it is crucial that e-trucks are compatible with a company's transport concept and that e-mobility plays a relevant role in its corporate strategy. The availability and quality of charging infrastructure currently represent the biggest obstacle. Additionally, economic viability still creates uncertainty. Therefore, companies must intensively focus on charging infrastructure during concept development and gain as much experience as possible through pilot projects. The results of this thesis also suggest that ongoing technological advancements and political developments will increasingly lead to the displacement of conventional diesel trucks from retail logistics in the coming years. E-trucks will play a significant role in this substitution. This is attributed to the technology's relatively low optimization level and the difficulty in making other alternative drive systems widely available for the masses.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Sarah Pfoser (Supervisor)