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Advances in Interdisciplinary Sustainable Electrified Transport Systems

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1973

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Sheffield University Management School, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Interests: sustainable transport with electric vehicles and transport applications for energy storage; logistics and freight transport operations

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Interests: energy storage and conversion; investigation into second-life operation of EV batteries for grid support and localised energy storage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Across the world, there is increasing interest in and political support for the transition towards green energy-powered, sustainable electrified transport systems. These manifest across transport modes in the use of electric vehicles, light rail/tram systems, and electrified maritime vessels and aircraft. To truly draw on the synergies that can be created across different subject areas, an interdisciplinary approach to investigate these applications is desirable.

This Special Issue aims to draw out recent advances in interdisciplinary approaches to research problems in integrated electric transport systems, taking a holistic approach to explain the synergies from combining different energy storage approaches and transport applications across a variety of transport modes.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome in this Special Issue. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Applied, practical, and theoretical approaches to addressing sustainable electrified transport;
  • Transport-related demonstrator systems;
  • Synergies of electrified multi-modal transport applications;
  • Integration of energy storage systems into electrified transport networks;
  • Public transport applications for energy storage solutions;
  • Autonomous and robotic transport systems;
  • Electrified maritime and aviation transport solutions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Erica Ballantyne
Prof. Dr. David Stone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • electrified transport
  • EVs
  • charging systems
  • renewable generation for transport systems
  • energy storage for transport
  • sustainable transport and energy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 2143 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Socioeconomic Impacts of an Inductive Electric Road System (ERS) for Decarbonizing Freight Transport: A Case Study for the TEN-T Corridor AP-7 in Spain
by Rubén Flores-Gandur, José Manuel Vassallo and Natalia Sobrino
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2283; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052283 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1581
Abstract
Electric Road Systems (ERS) are emerging technologies that enable electricity transfer to electric vehicles in motion. However, their implementation presents challenges due to high energy demands and infrastructure requirements. This technology offers a significant opportunity for decarbonizing road freight transport, one of the [...] Read more.
Electric Road Systems (ERS) are emerging technologies that enable electricity transfer to electric vehicles in motion. However, their implementation presents challenges due to high energy demands and infrastructure requirements. This technology offers a significant opportunity for decarbonizing road freight transport, one of the most carbon-intensive sectors, contributing to the European Union’s climate goals. This study hypothesizes that implementing an inductive ERS for freight transport along the AP-7 corridor in Spain will generate environmental benefits—primarily through greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions—that outweigh the associated socioeconomic costs, making it a viable decarbonization strategy. To test this hypothesis, an impact assessment framework based on Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA) is conducted, incorporating climate change and other environmental benefits. The framework is applied to a section of the Mediterranean Highway Corridor AP-7 in Spain. The results indicate that the most significant benefits are derived from positive environmental impacts and lower vehicle operation costs. Through a sensitivity analysis, our research identifies key variables affecting the system’s socioeconomic profitability, including payload capacity, volatility of energy prices and shadow prices of GHG emissions. The study provides insights for policymakers to optimize ERS deployment strategies, ensuring maximum social benefits while addressing economic and environmental challenges. Full article
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