Network deployment and capacity configuration of battery swapping stations for heavy-duty electric tractor fleets in field work

As farmers deal with the pressing challenges of today, the electrification of farm equipment has emerged as a promising solution, and electric tractors are taking a prominent position. The wider adoption of electric tractors faces the challenge of lacking infrastructure solutions for high-power electric tractors operating across vast, seasonal farmlands. The battery swapping stations equipped with standardized and “Lego-like” battery cells meet the high-volume charging demands and reduce downtime compared to conventional charging. To support the future infrastructure requirements of heavy-duty electric tractors, this paper addresses a critical gap in agricultural electrification by proposing a location selection and capacity configuration model for battery swapping stations and demonstrates its feasibility in a real-world scenario. By analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of the charging demand across multi-regional farmlands under a fully electrified scenario, the optimal deployment location for installing the battery swapping station is determined. Then, the capacity configuration model optimizes the number of charging bays and battery cells to minimize the annual investment cost. The case study validates the effectiveness of the deployment location selection and capacity configuration models.