Route-level optimization of battery, hydrogen, and electrification choices
A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model for the Multi-Fleet Electric Vehicle Scheduling Problem (MF-EVSP) that optimizes route and depot assignments for heterogeneous fleets. It integrates electric, diesel, and natural gas vehicles to minimize operational deadhead costs and maximize the use of low-emission transport in urban environments.
Overview
This research artifact presents a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model designed for the Multi-Fleet Electric Vehicle Scheduling Problem (MF-EVSP). It provides a unified framework for managing transport systems that integrate vehicles with diverse energy sources, including electric, diesel, and natural gas. By optimizing route and depot assignments, the model aims to minimize operational deadhead costs while maximizing the utilization of low-emission vehicles.
Technical specifications
The model incorporates several key features to address the complexities of mixed-fleet operations:
- Real-time battery tracking and management for electric vehicles.
- Optimized route and depot assignment to reduce non-productive travel (deadhead kilometers).
- Support for heterogeneous fleets with varying battery capacities and energy sources.
- Constraints accounting for charging infrastructure limitations, including uniform charging rates at select depots.
- A cycle compression approach to simplify computational complexity while maintaining necessary temporal detail for realistic scheduling.
Technology readiness level
The technology is at a TRL 3-4 level. It has been formalized as a mathematical model and validated through computational evaluations using both randomly generated city data and real-world scenarios based on the city of Torino, Italy. It serves as a research-based optimization tool for transport planning rather than a commercial software product.
About Politecnico di Torino
Politecnico di Torino is a major public, STEM-focused polytechnic university in Italy known for applied research and deep industry partnership. Companies engage on campus through co-located labs, shared facilities, and corporate-access research space, with options from sponsored projects to multi-year agreements. Being in Turin embeds the university in a dense mobility and manufacturing ecosystem, enabling rapid prototyping, pilot testing, and links to OEM supply chains. Research is supported by competitive European Commission programs alongside national and regional funding, often in collaboration with industry. A dedicated technology transfer office and an on-campus startup incubator streamline IP, licensing, and spinout creation.
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