A resilient battery electric bus transit system configuration.

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Sustainable Transportation
• Operations Research

Background:

• Electric mobility, particularly Battery Electric Buses (BEBs), is crucial for climate change mitigation and achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-11).
• The integration of power and transportation systems highlights the growing interdependence and need for resiliency in electric mobility infrastructure.
• Disruptions to charging infrastructure pose a significant threat to the reliable operation of BEB transit systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a resilient planning model for Battery Electric Bus (BEB) transit systems.
• To optimize BEB system costs while ensuring robustness against simultaneous charging station failures.
• To maintain essential services like personal mobility, social interaction, and economic productivity during disruptions.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage robust optimization model was developed to plan BEB charging infrastructure.
• The model was designed to minimize costs while maximizing system resilience against charging station failures.
• Case study analysis quantified service reduction impacts from single and multiple charging station failures.

Main Results:

• A single charging station failure can reduce BEB service by up to 34.03%.
• Two simultaneous charging station failures can decrease service by up to 58.18%.
• The proposed robust model incurs a small additional cost (3.26%–8.12%) but ensures uninterrupted BEB system operation.

Conclusions:

• The developed robust planning model effectively enhances the resilience of BEB transit systems against charging infrastructure disruptions.
• The model provides a cost-effective solution to maintain essential societal functions during service interruptions.
• Integrating resilient infrastructure planning is vital for the sustainable expansion of electric mobility.