IMPULSE

Public road transportation is transitioning to electric vehicles, marking a significant step towards a sustainable future. However, for public transport operators ensuring stable and reliable service using e-buses is still a challenge. The limited life of batteries, long charging times, non-standardised charging infrastructures which can lead to hardware incompatibilities, and a poor coverage of charging stations make it complex to manage charging operations.

To address these issues, IMPULSE aims to optimise the management of e-bus fleets through a software platform capable of processing real-time data on batteries’ status, vehicles and charging stations used, planned routes and characteristics of the transport network. This will allow public transport operators to optimise the day-to-day charging and usage of e-bus fleets, considering factors such as the bus service plan for the next day, energy prices and renewable energy production. The platform implementations will reduce transport service interruptions due to insufficient battery life, decrease operational costs for public transport operators, and thus foster the electrification of the bus fleets.

To assess its effectiveness, two pilot cases with different characteristics of size and type of transport service offered will be carried out in the cities of Lisbon, Portugal and Kadıköy, Turkey throughout 2024.