Electrification of urban and regional bus fleets

Eurac Research also developed a simulation tool to define the transition scenario of the bus fleet for local public transport from endothermic motor vehicles to fully electric vehicles, for the province of Trentino and with a focus on the city of Trento.

This tool, starting from real data on the roads of the territory, the routes currently made by buses and analysis of vehicles currently on the market, allows to derive the necessary fleet of buses and the number and geographical position of the necessary charging points, considering different charging strategies. This work has been carried out within the framework of project H2020 Stardust..

Here below the study contained in the Chapter 7 of the project repor on the electric vehicle models to address both intra-urban and extra-urban needs.

Within the framework of Interreg IT-CH project Mobster Eurac Research carried out a study for the transition to zero-emission electric and hydrogen buses, working on the case study of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province. Urban and extra-urban routes operated by VCO Trasporti were selected, taking into account altitude and distance.

The study quantified the energy consumption for each route, taking into account the altitude profiles, distance and loading conditions of the buses. In addition, a time analysis of the lines was conducted, calculating the energy required for each route and estimating the number of buses needed to cover the service on a specific line on a typical day. The objective was to maximise energy efficiency and service coverage.

The report "Electrification trends in local public transport" is a study realised by Eurac Research in cooperation with Sustainable Bus for the Motus-E association.

The report is an in-depth analysis of the electrification process of public transport in Europe and Italy. The report provides a comprehensive and multifaceted view of the sector, responds to the needs of municipalities, recharging infrastructure builders, and public transport companies, and paints a picture of future opportunities and challenges.