Comprehensive Framework to Electrify Public Transit Buses: An Application to the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Battery-electric buses (BEBs) are gaining traction globally due to their energy efficiency and reduced emissions, aligning with national and international environmental goals. However, challenges such as technological limitations related to battery capacity and charging infrastructure, high initial investments, and complex operational demands for scheduling and energy management hinder their widespread adoption. To address these issues, this paper proposes the E-Bus Energy Sizing Tool (E-BEST), developed by the ICCT. E-BEST assists in the preliminary design of electric bus fleets, offering solutions to understand energy needs, fleet scheduling, and total cost of ownership (TCO). The paper delineates E-BEST’s methodology, which comprises estimating BEB energy consumption, simulating daily operations, developing timetables, calculating fleet TCO, and recommending system designs and strategies. The tool is built by coupling a multi-physical forward electric bus model with a pseudo-real-time fleet operations model and a TCO calculation model. The tool is then demonstrated in a use case, discussing its potential to enhance the operational efficiency of electric bus fleets while supporting sustainable urban transit policies, showcasing the city of Sao Paulo in Brazil.