The cost of bus fleet electrification goes beyond the clearly challenging purchase price of a new zero-emissions vehicle. Ensuring adequate charging infrastructure is in place is another hefty consideration for operators and local authorities.
The challenges are being faced globally and sometimes the answers can be found from the other side of the world. The Victorian Government in Australia recently used the Evenergi‘s BetterFleet platform – also available in the UK – to “smart-charge” a fleet, thus avoiding a grid upgrade and maximising funding.
To help meet its overall target of net-zero emissions by 2045, the state of Victoria is ending the purchase of new non-zero-emissions buses from 2025. To set this transition in motion, understand the challenges and encourage industry collaboration, the Victorian Government launched a zero-emissions buses trial with A$20 million (£10.2 million) in funding for 50 buses throughout the state.
As part of this initiative, nine electric buses and the associated charging infrastructure were funded for the bus depot in West Footscray, west Melbourne. However, once the funding was approved and the order to Australian manufacturer Volgren put in, the next challenge was to come up with an efficient plan for the infrastructure and charging schedules in such a way that a grid upgrade was avoided.
Operator Transit Systems worked with Evenergi to form a plan of action via the BetterFleet platform. It was first crucial to investigate how much time each vehicle would need to charge upon returning to the depot. Different route schedules were imported into the software and analysed offer insight into the amount of energy each 348kWh vehicle would consume and need to fully repower.
The grid infrastructure at West Footscray depot was limited and already at 75% or more of capacity due to existing equipment at the site, such as offices, workshop and bus wash.
The BetterFleet platform allowed Transit Systems to compare the grid impacts of using different charge rates and times and produce a smart charging plan that met operational needs while keeping overall energy consumption under required thresholds.
The schedule helped avoid the significant cost of a grid upgrade, which would have included installation of hardware such as transformers and switchgear and new transmission lines. Power demand was kept under the limits, while buses were sufficiently powered for their services each day.
This helped the Government to push implementation forward efficiently, lower upfront cost and continue towards decarbonisation targets.
Transit Systems Chief Executive Officer Michael McGee says: “Getting more passengers on public transport remains our priority as it is the most effective way to reduce a city’s emissions. By creating a public transport network that people want to use, it makes investing in the right technology even more valuable.
“We’re proud to work with industry leaders to provide solutions to our Government partners and customers to provide a seamless and more sustainable service to the community.”
Taking into account power availability at different times, route schedules and overall grid limitations, the system automatically adjusts charging in response to site loads throughout the day and maximises use of available capacity.
Via a cloud-based, self-service portal, West Footscray depot managers can see the real-time status of their chargers and vehicles and adjust charging schedules as needed. The advanced charge management platform issues fleet supervisors with notifications in case of any issues, and provides access reports on vehicle and charger performance, including odometer readings, emissions reduced, and energy consumed.
Dan Hilson, Evenergi CEO, says: “This is another significant milestone for Evenergi and the public transport community, as one of the first bus depots in Australia actively using smart charge management software for a fleet of electric buses. We look forward to continued collaboration with Transit Systems and the Victorian Government at the forefront of the transition to zero-emissions fleets.”
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