Transit Bus System Electrification Transition Planning Review

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The world’s commitment towards the mitigation of climate changes has driven many sectors into an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. The transit bus sector, which currently strongly relies on diesel fueled buses, is challenged to reduce its carbon footprint, as well as to reduce the emission of criteria pollutant and noise, which negatively affect the world cities’ population, especially those living nearby the large transit bus corridors.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">In this context, the Battery Electric Buses (BEB), has been set as the transit sector’s workhorse for reaching the global, regional and local environmental targets.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">However, despite the relative maturity level of both the electric powertrain and the energy storage devices (ESD) technologies, the bus electrification transition is a disruptive process, from both a technological, operational and managerial standpoint, which might take into account both the (electrical) infrastructure, as well as the operational customization requirements. Moreover, it requires a strong coordination among the involved stakeholders and their different roles, such as the transit bus and charging equipment manufacturers, transit operators, transit authorities, as well as the electricity providers.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">This work presents a review of the challenges associated with the electrification of bus transit fleets. It sets the baselines of the electrification transition planning process, as well as the technological and infrastructure requirements and the inherent coordination roles between the stakeholders involved, based on the recent ongoing world’s bus electrification initiatives.</div></div>