Electrification of a Bus Line in Savona Considering Depot and Opportunity Charging

A transition towards electrification of the public transport sector is ongoing in many cities around the world, as a response to global warming and pollution. However, the question is whether the current state of technology is already sufficient to replace the conventional buses with electric ones and if the existing charging facilities are appropriate to ensure the smooth operation of the buses. Therefore, this work aims to verify the technical feasibility of the electrification of an existing urban line. The purpose is achieved by evaluating a case study on a public transport bus line in the city of Savona, Italy. The average energy consumption of an electric bus operating in the considered line path is estimated in order to investigate the possible locations and sizes of the charging systems to install. The results show that the correct service operation of the electric buses can be achieved by installing one opportunity charger of at least 300 kW in one of the terminals or by installing three 43 kW charging ports in the depot.