Speed Profile Optimization for Energy-Saving Operations of Electric Buses

Connected and autonomous battery electric buses (EBs) equipped with Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications have great potential in saving energy consumption. However, the trip energy consumption of an EB is mainly affected by its operating speed. How to optimize the speed profile of the EB on the route is a critical issue needing to be solved. In this study, an eco-driving method for one EB that minimizes energy consumption by optimizing the speed profiles of trips between stops is established. In the proposed model, the number of intersections between stops and the different signal timing are considered. The developed model is solved using a genetic algorithm and a case study is conducted with an EB operating on a dedicated bus lane. The results show that the proposed method can flexibly support multiple scenarios of an EB traveling on inter-stop trips and the energy consumption is 0.40–0.43 kWh/km.