Integrated charging facility planning and charging scheduling for a rural battery electric bus system

Abstract

Efficient charging planning and scheduling are crucial for electric buses (e-buses) due to their limited range and extended charging times. This paper focuses on the problem of planning the charging infrastructure for a public transport network in a rural area. Due to longer routes and poor road conditions in rural areas, especially in developing countries, conventional diesel intercity bus services account for significant carbon emissions from bus transport. However, there is a gap in planning the electrification of rural bus systems, especially in terms of charging infrastructure planning. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to identify optimal charging schedules using an integrated modelling approach. In particular, an optimisation model is developed to simultaneously determine the optimum location and capacity of charging facilities, along with optimal charging schedules for e-buses. This model aims to minimise the costs associated with charging infrastructure and the electricity consumed by the buses, considering time of use (TOU) electricity tariffs. A real-world case study of Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) in Karnataka, India is presented to test the efficacy of the developed model. For the considered scenario in the Kalburgi division (the largest division in KKRTC), with 11 depots and 887 bus routes, the model provides 52 optimal locations with a total of 82 opportunity chargers. According to the model, the feasible electrification level is 67.08% in the case of rural battery electric bus (BEB) systems for this division. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is presented to understand the effect of battery size and charger power on the results. The proposed approach offers operators a valuable tool for making optimal decisions regarding e-bus networks.