Routes to get miles more efficiency for EVs
We caught up with Clíodhna Ní Shé, a NexSys PhD researcher based at UCD Smurfit Business School, who is exploring how to make the ‘last mile’ more sustainable for electric vehicles. Her project with supervisor Dr Paula Carroll is called ‘Optimisation Algorithms for Last Mile Logistics using Electric Vehicles.’
Photo of Clíodhna Ní Shé playing County Gaelic Football for Carlow.
Q.What are you working on for your NexSys PhD?
A. My project is on optimisation algorithms for electric-vehicle routing problems in last-mile logistics. In other words, I’m working on algorithms that will give you the best route to take from the depot for that ‘last mile’ to customers. This is particularly important for sustainability for fleets of electric vehicles with routes that involve multiple deliveries and thousands of customers. Many of the existing algorithms are based on distance. What’s new in the research is that I'm looking at real-life aspects of energy consumption as the vehicles travel, like temperature, road gradient – are you going uphill or downhill - and vehicle speed. I incorporate those factors to see how they affect sustainability.
Q. What sparked your interest in this research area?
A. I studied maths in Trinity for my primary degree. It was very theoretical and I enjoyed it, but I wanted to look at an applied problem, where I could see my work making a real-world difference. I looked up PhD opportunities and this one really interested me. As an undergraduate, sustainability wasn’t really on my radar, but my PhD has completely changed my perspective. I've been really inspired by the people I work with in NexSys and I’m now passionate about sustainability.
Q. What's an interesting finding from your research?
A. I think unless you have owned an electric vehicle for a while, many people don't realise how much factors like temperature and air conditioning impact how those vehicles consume energy. But our research is showing how battery performance decreases in cold temperatures, and using the air conditioning to heat or cool the vehicle can substantially drain the battery too.
Q. How does your research contribute to the energy transition?
A. The research is valuable for last-mile logistics, to help commercial fleets and vehicles operate more efficiently to reduce energy consumption. With the increase in online shopping and vehicle-based deliveries post-COVID, these insights have become even more relevant. Beyond that, the research can also help people understand more generally how to drive their own electric vehicles more efficiently.
Q. What do you do outside of your academic work?
A. Outside of my PhD, much of my time is dedicated to Gaelic football. I play for my club Bennekerry/Tinryland, we won the All-Ireland club championship last year, and I’ve been playing on the Carlow county team now for more than eight years. I travel three times a week from Dublin to Carlow for training, and then I could be all around the county or country for matches at the weekend. It’s a lot of travel but I love it, my friends are on the team, and we travel to training and matches together. I’m also an advocate for the Irish language, I did my school education completely through Irish.