Charging Ahead | Smarter Storage Systems for Electric Trucks!

In Brief

A recent research presents a cost-optimized co-design framework for hybrid energy storage systems—combining batteries, supercapacitors, and flywheels—to efficiently support electric truck charging while reducing grid dependency and overall operational costs.

In Depth

Battery Electric Trucks (BETs) are the future of freight. They’re clean, efficient, and great for the planet. But there's a problem — they need a lot of energy to charge, and fast-charging such big machines can stress the electrical grid.

So how can we power up these big battery beasts without blowing a fuse? The answer lies in an innovative solution — a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS), smartly designed to work with the grid, with solar panels, and with multiple types of energy storage.

Today, we’re unpacking a recent research paper titled “Optimal Co-Design of a Hybrid Energy Storage System for Truck Charging” from Eindhoven University of Technology — and don’t worry, we’re keeping it jargon-free and super digestible.

The Roadblocks: Why Truck Charging Needs Help

BETs are cleaner than diesel trucks, but they face three major roadblocks:

1. Long Charging Times: Trucks have huge batteries that take time to charge.
2. High Costs: Batteries and chargers aren’t cheap.
3. Grid Bottlenecks: Many places, like parts of the Netherlands, don’t have grid capacity to handle truck charging at scale.

Enter the microgrid — a localized energy system with solar panels, energy storage, and a connection to the main grid. Microgrids can reduce dependence on the main grid, use green energy, and smooth out power demand.

But how do we design a microgrid that’s smart, cost-efficient, and reliable enough to charge trucks?

The Big Idea: Co-Designing Hybrid Energy Storage

Instead of designing the microgrid and its storage separately, the researchers used a co-design approach — optimizing everything together:

• Energy sources (grid + solar)
• Energy storage (batteries + supercapacitors + flywheels)
• Charging strategies (when to charge what, and how much)

The result? A hybrid system that performs better and costs less.

But Why Use Three Types of Storage?

Each type of energy storage has its own superpower:

• Batteries: Great for storing lots of energy over time. But they're slow and degrade with frequent use.
• Supercapacitors: Handle short bursts of energy quickly (like when multiple trucks start charging at once).
• Flywheels: Spin up fast and provide power instantly, perfect for quick fluctuations.

Putting all three together in the right balance makes the system agile, efficient, and less dependent on expensive grid electricity.

Under the Hood: How the Co-Design Works

Let’s simplify the research framework:

1. Set the Stage: Use real-world data — solar irradiance, truck charging schedules, electricity prices — to simulate how the microgrid would operate.
2. Define the Tech: Set the limits for battery size, power levels, efficiency, etc.
3. Build the Math Model: Use a mathematical program (MILP — Mixed Integer Linear Programming) to find the lowest-cost design.
4. Optimize for Cost: Consider not just buying equipment, but also:
   • Maintenance cost
   • Energy bought and sold
   • Grid connection fees
   • Resale value of equipment after 20 years

The algorithm runs thousands of simulations across different “representative days” to cover seasonal and price variability.

Results That Charge Up the Future

The researchers tested four scenarios with different energy storage mixes. Here’s what they found:

The fully hybrid solution (Experiment 4) wins overall:

• Lowest total cost
• Lowest operational cost (OpEx)
• Slightly higher initial investment (CapEx)
• Efficient use of solar energy
• Reduced strain on the power grid

Even a small 1.96% total cost savings matters in large-scale operations. Over 20 years, that can mean hundreds of thousands saved — not to mention fewer emissions!

How It Works in Real Life

Here’s a simple example from their simulation:

• Morning: Warehouse and trucks start drawing lots of power.
  • Supercapacitors and flywheels step in to handle quick bursts
  • Batteries slowly discharge to meet ongoing demand
• Afternoon: Sun shines bright
  • Solar panels charge up all storage systems
• Evening: Grid prices go up
  • System uses stored energy to avoid expensive grid electricity
• Night: Trucks are done charging
  • Any excess solar energy gets sold back to the grid

This smart orchestration is only possible with an optimized co-design approach.

Future Horizons: What’s Next?

The research doesn't stop here! The plan is to:

1. Add New Storage Tech: Like hydrogen storage or second-life EV batteries.
2. Offer Grid Services: Use the microgrid to stabilize voltage and frequency, helping the entire grid stay healthy
3. Real-World Deployment: Test their co-design system in real distribution centers and truck charging hubs

Key Takeaways

Batteries are not enough — while useful, they can't handle fast, spiky demands efficiently.
Hybrid systems are better — mixing energy storage types saves cost and reduces grid stress.
Co-design is crucial — thinking holistically about the system from the start unlocks big savings.
Small % gains = big wins — even a 1.96% cost cut can mean massive savings over time.
It’s a greener future — smarter storage means more trucks can charge with clean energy.

Final Thoughts

This research shows us a roadmap to a cleaner, more efficient freight system — one where we don’t have to choose between going green and staying cost-effective.

By blending solar power, multiple energy storage types, and smart control algorithms, the researchers have created a microgrid recipe that’s ready to charge the future.

In Terms

Battery Electric Truck (BET) - A truck powered entirely by electricity stored in batteries — no gasoline, just plug in and go!

Microgrid - A small, local power system that can run with or without the main power grid — think of it as a mini power plant for a warehouse or neighborhood.

Photovoltaic (PV) - Solar panels that turn sunlight into electricity — clean, green, and renewable. - More about this concept in the article "Heating the Future: How Poland is Transitioning to Renewable Heat Energy".

Energy Storage System (ESS) - Devices that store electricity for later use — like giant rechargeable batteries for buildings and trucks.

Supercapacitor - A fast-reacting energy storage device that can quickly charge and discharge — great for short bursts of power.

Flywheel - A spinning device that stores energy as motion — it releases that energy quickly when needed, like a high-tech yo-yo. - More about this concept in the article "What is Mechanical Energy? Understanding Its Power, Applications, and Future Trends".

CapEx (Capital Expenditure) - The upfront cost to buy and install equipment — like paying for solar panels or batteries. - For a deeper understanding of this concept read the article "CapEx vs OpEx | Budgeting Engineering Projects".

OpEx (Operational Expenditure) - Ongoing costs to run and maintain the system — like energy bills and equipment upkeep. - For a deeper understanding of this concept read the article "CapEx vs OpEx | Budgeting Engineering Projects".

Optimization - Using smart math (algorithms!) to find the most efficient and cost-effective setup for a system. - More about this concept in the article "Harnessing Nature: How Harris Hawks Optimization Is Revolutionizing Power Grids".

MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Programming) - A fancy type of optimization that helps solve complex decision-making problems with guaranteed best results.

Co-Design - Designing both the hardware and how it’s used at the same time — so everything works better together.

Source

Juan Pablo Bertucci, Sudarshan Raghuraman, Mauro Salazar, Theo Hofman. Optimal Co-Design of a Hybrid Energy Storage System for Truck Charging. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2506.01426

From: Eindhoven University of Technology.