Compliance indicator determination method to match electric buses with bus lines

Urban bus service electrification is usually achieved using battery electric buses charged at the depot. However, due to the range limitation, a battery electric bus usually cannot replace a diesel-powered bus one-to-one in daily running. The compliance indicator determination method was developed using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method to express the suitability of buses on a given bus line. Vehicle-specific (maximum motor power, battery capacity, consumption rate, maximum charging power) and route-specific (topography, distance between stops, passenger load) parameters were considered. The result is a vehicle ranking for a line. The method was applied as a case study in Budapest; 58 bus lines and 30 buses were analyzed. Buses with different vehicle parameters should be selected for lines with different route parameters; however, operating a diverse fleet is unnecessary, as among the 30 bus types analyzed, 9 buses were ranked in the first four positions. The most influencing vehicle parameters are the maximum engine power, average specific fuel consumption, battery capacity, passenger capacity, and vehicle weight; thus, the most influencing route-specific parameters are the roadway gradient, the number of stops, and passenger volume. Operators can use this method to decide which bus route an electric bus can operate without changing the daily bus schedule.