INIT helps operators prepare for electric transition

Australia and New Zealand are on the cusp of a significant transition in public transport. While diesel once ran supreme among fleets, the transition to zero-emission vehicles could soon see electric come out on top as the power source of choice for local buses and coach operators.

While the speedy transition to zero-emissions transport has been driven by governments wanting to see sustainable solutions, the move has left some operators pondering how they’ll manage the change to their fleets.

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IT solutions company INIT Australia/CarMedialab is one company who is reaching out to offer a helping hand, with its bus fleet electrification expertise already proving invaluable to local operators through a concise seven-step guide.

“Many aspects have to be considered, and the overall strategy must be defined before electric buses can be successfully incorporated into your fleet,” CarMedialab general manager Heiko Bauer told ABC.

“E-bus integration has an impact on numerous operational processes, from planning and scheduling to operations control. Electromobility is nothing short of a complete paradigm shift – but it can be mastered.”

Bauer says these seven steps, if applied consistently, are the key to a successful implementation of e-mobility in public transport networks. 

STEP ONE: DEPLOYMENT CONCEPT

Test vehicles and trials are often an operator’s first foray into the world of ZEBs. Typically deployed on morning and afternoon peak blocks, where their shorter and more volatile range are unlikely to have negative effects, using trial vehicles minimises the impact on ongoing operations. 

However, Bauer says it is more economically viable to use test vehicles as much as possible until they hit their break-even point. 

“It is important to find ways to deploy these vehicles on longer or additional blocks,” Bauer says. 

“Various factors have an impact on energy consumption and consequently the range of the vehicles. The topology of the route, the number of stops and starts, individual driving styles, the size of the battery and the outside temperature on that given day are some of the essential parameters to consider.”

INIT’s eMOBILE-PLAN can be essential during this phase, allowing the user to simulate and optimise numerous deployment scenarios or block variations, while considering additional vehicles or drivers that may be required. 

The technology also assists with facilitating and comparing different vehicles and battery types during the procurement process.

STEP TWO: CHARGING CONCEPT

So after biting the bullet and buying the buses, operators are now left with a big question. How are they going to charge them?

Operators must determine the most efficient charging strategy: charging in the depot, charging en route (opportunity charging), or a combination of both. 

Being able to compare different scenarios can give public transport operators a valuable overview of investment and operating costs to guide them to make critical strategic decisions. 

INIT’s planning system can assist with these decisions, determining not just the most appropriate charging strategy, but also the approximate future energy consumption and the correct layout for the electrical supply. 

STEP THREE: CHARGE MANAGEMENT

All operators transitioning their fleets to zero-emission vehicles quickly encounter the challenges of efficient charging. The shift to electric buses is not just about purchasing vehicles; it also requires a well-thought-out charging infrastructure and an intelligent system to ensure that vehicles are charged on time and in a cost-effective manner.

Without controlling charging processes actively, operators may find that high load peaks occur, operating costs increase and vehicles may not be ready when needed.

MOBILEcharge helps solve these issues by intelligently distributing and automatically optimising charging processes – from charge planning to issue resolution.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Operators report significant reductions in operational costs, improved vehicle availability and greater transparency in charging processes,” Bauer says.

MOBILEcharge controls all charging processes centrally and automatically, calculating the optimal charging schedule for the entire fleet to ensure balanced charging by intelligently allotting charging times and amounts to avoid expensive peaks. 

The software also monitors the charging processes and restarts them in the event of an unexpected interruption to ensure all vehicles hold sufficient charges at the required time.  An important factor is integration with the existing IT system. Thanks to standardised interfaces, the application integrates not only into an INIT landscape but also smoothly into existing third-party systems.

“Standardisation, such as sticking to standards, means faster implementation times, higher quality and lower costs,” Bauer explains.

STEP FOUR: DEPOT CONCEPT

As all public transport operators would know, the depot is a crucial part of day-to-day operations. Home of the buses, and where they spend most of their time charging, connecting the charge management system to a depot management system is crucial. 

The MOBILE-DMS system automates vehicle deployment as well as depot management processes, including vehicle localisation, allocation to services or inspections and the targeted assignment of parking spaces that allows operators to pull out vehicles from charging highly efficiently.

“To effectively ensure all vehicles are charged to their capacity, the charge management system requires information on energy demands and pull-out times,” Bauer says. 

“This helps staff to assign the charging slots and times, avoiding expensive peak loads. It is not reasonable to transfer this data manually, and once you have an e-fleet of any significant size, it
isn’t possible.”

STEP FIVE: BLOCK OPTIMISATION

“From an economic point of view, the operating times of e-buses should be as long as possible,” Bauer says.

“For this reason, careful consideration must be given to how they can be appropriately put into operation on longer blocks.”

INIT’s planning tool considers all parameters, such as topology, weather and the size of battery to help determine the best path to be taken. 

STEP SIX: RANGE MONITORING AND PREDICTION

With the buses purchased, charging sorted and depots sufficiently managed, the only thing left to do is make sure that the vehicles always reach their destination. 

“For this reason, the battery’s current state of charge needs to be monitored not just by the driver,
but also by the control centre,”
Bauer says.

“This means that electromobility needs to be integrated into the public transport provider’s most important management tool – the CAD/AVL system, short for computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location.”

Such a system like INIT’s MOBILE-ITCS or LIVEavl provide dispatchers with a quick overview of the vehicle’s current state of charge, alerting when any fall below a certain threshold.

These systems also check whether the vehicle can manage the additional distance when executing dispatching measures like an unplanned detour. This provides the dispatchers with all information and the full support needed to perfectly control fleets of electric buses. 

STEP SEVEN: CONTINUOUS OPTIMISATION

As we now know, the more precisely ranges can be determined, the more efficiently vehicles and drivers can be deployed, and the more energy costs can be reduced. Gathering data means getting a profound knowledge of journeys, topology and the buses’ demands.

MOBILE-ECO2 tracks actual energy consumption and driving situations, providing the range detection tool with the most up-to-date information.   

It can also offer comprehensive vehicle monitoring while the vehicle is in operation and provide driver behaviour analysis like braking or accelerating too hard, encouraging a more energy-efficient driving style and opening up further potential for improvements. 

Through these seven steps, INIT Australia is looking to make the transition to zero-emissions transport less daunting for the nation’s bus and coach operators.