Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.

The expansion of cold chain logistics necessitates a substantial fleet of fuel-refrigerated trucks, which presents environmental challenges. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer an environmentally friendly solution for low-carbon development despite the issue of range anxiety. Diverging from the convention...

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Main Authors: Yaling Li, Wenzhu Liao, Yuqi Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318765
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author Yaling Li
Wenzhu Liao
Yuqi Huang
author_facet Yaling Li
Wenzhu Liao
Yuqi Huang
author_sort Yaling Li
collection DOAJ
description The expansion of cold chain logistics necessitates a substantial fleet of fuel-refrigerated trucks, which presents environmental challenges. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer an environmentally friendly solution for low-carbon development despite the issue of range anxiety. Diverging from the conventional two-echelon distribution structure, this paper explores alternative recharging strategies and introduces an innovative scheme: employing fuel vehicles in suburban areas and EVs in urban central zones. The presented model optimizes economic and environmental considerations to mitigate air pollution and reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources while providing feasible routes. This study proposes an allocation algorithm and an enhanced ant colony algorithm to address a single-objective two-echelon vehicle routing problem with the mixed fleet (2EVRPMF). The mixed fleet outperforms in terms of both cost and carbon emissions based on numerical experiments. Additionally, the study investigates the influence of battery capacity and recharging rate under various recharge strategies, including their correlation with costs. The findings can provide valuable insights for decision-making in implementing environmentally-friendly logistics within the cold chain industry.
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spelling doaj-art-ac9cb781bc4b45e099b456f1fea2fb992025-08-20T02:16:13ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01202e031876510.1371/journal.pone.0318765Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.Yaling LiWenzhu LiaoYuqi HuangThe expansion of cold chain logistics necessitates a substantial fleet of fuel-refrigerated trucks, which presents environmental challenges. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer an environmentally friendly solution for low-carbon development despite the issue of range anxiety. Diverging from the conventional two-echelon distribution structure, this paper explores alternative recharging strategies and introduces an innovative scheme: employing fuel vehicles in suburban areas and EVs in urban central zones. The presented model optimizes economic and environmental considerations to mitigate air pollution and reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources while providing feasible routes. This study proposes an allocation algorithm and an enhanced ant colony algorithm to address a single-objective two-echelon vehicle routing problem with the mixed fleet (2EVRPMF). The mixed fleet outperforms in terms of both cost and carbon emissions based on numerical experiments. Additionally, the study investigates the influence of battery capacity and recharging rate under various recharge strategies, including their correlation with costs. The findings can provide valuable insights for decision-making in implementing environmentally-friendly logistics within the cold chain industry.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318765
spellingShingle Yaling Li
Wenzhu Liao
Yuqi Huang
Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.
PLoS ONE
title Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.
title_full Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.
title_fullStr Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.
title_full_unstemmed Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.
title_short Mixed fleet-based two-echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies.
title_sort mixed fleet based two echelon vehicle routing optimization for cold chain logistics with diverse recharging strategies
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318765
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AT wenzhuliao mixedfleetbasedtwoechelonvehicleroutingoptimizationforcoldchainlogisticswithdiverserechargingstrategies
AT yuqihuang mixedfleetbasedtwoechelonvehicleroutingoptimizationforcoldchainlogisticswithdiverserechargingstrategies