Analyzing and accurately estimating the energy consumption of battery electric
buses (BEBs) is essential as it directly impacts battery aging. As fleet
electrification of transit agencies (TAs) is on the rise, they must take into
account battery aging, since the battery accounts for nearly a quarter of the
total bus cost. Understanding the strain placed on batteries during day-to-day
operations will allow TAs to implement best-use practices, continue successful
fleet electrification, and prolong battery life. The main objective of this
research is to estimate and analyze the energy consumption of BEBs based on
ambient conditions, geographical location, and driver behavior. This article
presents a model for estimating the battery energy consumption of BEBs, which is
validated using the data on federal transit bus performance tests performed by
Penn State University and experimental aggregated trip data provided by the
Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). The developed simulator aims to
realistically estimate the actual BEB energy consumption, including factors that
are difficult to account for, such as the weather conditions, driver behavior,
and uncertain passenger load along a route. The results of the model are
compared to results from Penn State University, COTA aggregated trip data, and
other methodologies for energy consumption estimation. Finally, the impact of
seasonal weather variations and driver aggressiveness on the energy consumption
is assessed through simulation analyses.
