From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan Areas
Urban bus fleets worldwide face urgent decarbonization requirements, with Germany targeting net-zero emissions by 2050. Current electrification research often addresses individual components—energy consumption, scheduling, or charging infrastructure—in isolation, lacking integrated frameworks that c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | World Electric Vehicle Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/16/7/378 |
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| author | Ludger Heide Shuyao Guo Dietmar Göhlich |
| author_facet | Ludger Heide Shuyao Guo Dietmar Göhlich |
| author_sort | Ludger Heide |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban bus fleets worldwide face urgent decarbonization requirements, with Germany targeting net-zero emissions by 2050. Current electrification research often addresses individual components—energy consumption, scheduling, or charging infrastructure—in isolation, lacking integrated frameworks that capture complex system interactions. This study presents “eflips-X”, a modular, open-source simulation framework that integrates energy consumption modeling, battery-aware block building, depot–block assignment, terminus charger placement, depot operations simulation, and smart charging optimization within a unified workflow. The framework employs empirical energy models, graph-based scheduling algorithms, and integer linear programming for depot assignment and smart charging. Applied to Berlin’s bus network—Germany’s largest—three scenarios were evaluated: maintaining existing blocks with electrification, exclusive depot charging, and small batteries with extensive terminus charging. Electric fleets need 2.1–7.1% additional vehicles compared to diesel operations, with hybrid depot-terminus charging strategies minimizing this increase. Smart charging reduces peak power demand by 49.8% on average, while different charging strategies yield distinct trade-offs between infrastructure requirements, fleet size, and operational efficiency. The framework enables systematic evaluation of electrification pathways, supporting evidence-based planning for zero-emission public transport transitions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a67677e18b574c8aa195cd2ee43348ff |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2032-6653 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | World Electric Vehicle Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-a67677e18b574c8aa195cd2ee43348ff2025-08-20T03:32:28ZengMDPI AGWorld Electric Vehicle Journal2032-66532025-07-0116737810.3390/wevj16070378From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan AreasLudger Heide0Shuyao Guo1Dietmar Göhlich2Chair of Methods of Product Development and Mechatronics, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, GermanyChair of Methods of Product Development and Mechatronics, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, GermanyChair of Methods of Product Development and Mechatronics, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, GermanyUrban bus fleets worldwide face urgent decarbonization requirements, with Germany targeting net-zero emissions by 2050. Current electrification research often addresses individual components—energy consumption, scheduling, or charging infrastructure—in isolation, lacking integrated frameworks that capture complex system interactions. This study presents “eflips-X”, a modular, open-source simulation framework that integrates energy consumption modeling, battery-aware block building, depot–block assignment, terminus charger placement, depot operations simulation, and smart charging optimization within a unified workflow. The framework employs empirical energy models, graph-based scheduling algorithms, and integer linear programming for depot assignment and smart charging. Applied to Berlin’s bus network—Germany’s largest—three scenarios were evaluated: maintaining existing blocks with electrification, exclusive depot charging, and small batteries with extensive terminus charging. Electric fleets need 2.1–7.1% additional vehicles compared to diesel operations, with hybrid depot-terminus charging strategies minimizing this increase. Smart charging reduces peak power demand by 49.8% on average, while different charging strategies yield distinct trade-offs between infrastructure requirements, fleet size, and operational efficiency. The framework enables systematic evaluation of electrification pathways, supporting evidence-based planning for zero-emission public transport transitions.https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/16/7/378electric busvehicle schedulingdepot chargingopportunity chargingsmart chargingfleet electrification |
| spellingShingle | Ludger Heide Shuyao Guo Dietmar Göhlich From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan Areas World Electric Vehicle Journal electric bus vehicle scheduling depot charging opportunity charging smart charging fleet electrification |
| title | From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan Areas |
| title_full | From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan Areas |
| title_fullStr | From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan Areas |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan Areas |
| title_short | From Simulation to Implementation: A Systems Model for Electric Bus Fleet Deployment in Metropolitan Areas |
| title_sort | from simulation to implementation a systems model for electric bus fleet deployment in metropolitan areas |
| topic | electric bus vehicle scheduling depot charging opportunity charging smart charging fleet electrification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/16/7/378 |
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