Long-term Monitoring of Electrical Bus Fleets for Usage Analysis and Operating Strategy Optimization

Electric buses are key in the strategy towards a greenhouse gas neutral fleet. However, their restrictions in terms of range and refueling, as well as their increased price point present new challenges for public transport companies. The article presents an energy consumption analysis with respect to ambient temperatures and average vehicle speed based exclusively on real-world data which can be used for bus disposition planning. Additionally, the State of Charge (SOC) window during operation and vehicle idle time as well as the charging power was analyzed in this case study to formulate recommendations towards a more battery-friendly treatment. Finally, the reduction of CO2 emissions compared to Diesel buses is estimated.