Routing and charging optimization for electric bus operations

Authors

Wei Zhang
Jiahui Liu
Kai Wang
Liang Wang

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2024

Subject Area

place - urban, place - asia, mode - bus, mode - demand responsive transit, technology - alternative fuels, operations - performance, ridership - demand, planning - environmental impact, planning - methods

Keywords

On-demand bus, Electric bus charging, Time–space network

Abstract

The transition to alternative energy sources and the adoption of on-demand operating modes in urban bus systems are crucial steps towards reducing carbon footprints and improving public transit services. This paper presents a two-phase approach for the collaborative optimization of charging schedules and passenger services, aimed at enhancing the operation of on-demand electric bus systems. First, we propose a label-setting dynamic programming algorithm that enables the efficient generation of bus-trips for each bus line in response to passenger requests. Second, we introduce a time–space network optimization model that facilitates integrated multiple bus-trip planning for the transit network, involving multiple bus lines and charging spots. The model selects bus-trips from various time–space arcs, which represent passenger carrying, bus deployment, and bus charging activities. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we conduct a case study using real-world data from bus lines in Beijing, China. Computational results demonstrate that our approach can handle on-demand electric bus operations within minutes of solution time, efficiently serving over 2,000 passengers. Practically, our approach achieves a notable reduction in average transit time and effectively reduces the waste of public transit resources. The proposed approach can serve as a beneficial tool for decision-makers and operators seeking to enhance the performance and environmental impact of their electric bus systems.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Transportation Research Part E Home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13665545

Recommended Citation

Zhang, W., Liu, J., Wang, K., & Wang, L. (2024). Routing and charging optimization for electric bus operations. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 181, 103372.