Energy consumption of battery-electric buses: review of influential parameters and modelling approaches

Abstract

The electrification of public transportation fleets worldwide can pose a challenge to multiple stakeholders, such as the fleet operator or the operator of the local electrical grid. One of the important prerequisites for the successful integration of these fleets into the existing system is the knowledge of the energy consumption of the buses during their trips. The energy consumption varies depending on multiple factors such as the vehicle or route-related parameters, operational, and environmental parameters. This paper gives an overview of the latest research regarding these influential factors. Another essential prerequisite for the implementation of intelligent management systems for electric bus fleets is the forecasting of energy consumption. Researchers take different approaches to tackle this issue. A review of the latest research considering empirical approaches, physical models, regression, and machine learning is also provided in this paper. The findings of this paper provide a quick overview of different aspects of the energy consumption of electric buses and can therefore support other researchers or decision-makers in their work.