Strategies for Implementing Public Service Electric Bus Lines by Charging Type in Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea

The large-scale adoption of electric vehicles in the public sector is essential for achieving emission reduction targets for transportation. In particular, the replacement of buses with internal combustion engines, which travel long distances and produce massive greenhouse gas emissions, by their electric counterparts can drastically reduce emissions. A variety of electric buses with different power supply systems are currently available, and their performance, charging type, battery capacity, and operating environment are related parameters that must be addressed for their successful and massive adoption. For instance, the appropriate charging type of electric buses depends on conditions, such as the operating environment. In this study, we determined the optimum capacity of electric bus batteries by considering the electric bus range, battery depth of discharge, and deterioration cost while using ADVISOR, which is a MATLAB-based electric vehicle simulator. In addition, we assessed the energy consumed and charging time according to the operating environments of electric buses. Finally, an economic efficiency analysis allowed for determining the appropriated charging type for electric buses. By integrating these data and analyses, we propose a comprehensive plan for selecting the most appropriate charging type according to the operating environment of these electric vehicles. We expect that the proposed plan will contribute to the adoption of electric buses and achieve the greenhouse gas reduction targets set by South Korea.