Potential of In-Motion Charging Buses for the Electrification of Urban Bus Lines

摘要

Electricbuses can help to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, pollutantsand noise. One possible electric bus concept is the in-motion charger. As acombination of a trolleybus and a battery electric bus, the in-motion charger isable to operate relevant stretches in battery mode and therefore the amount of installedcatenary wires can be significantly reduced. As a part of the German ‘Mobilityand Fuels Strategy’ [2], the aim of the article’s underlying work was to identifypossible applications for the in-motion charger. This included a comparison ofthe environmental and economic performance of the different traction systems ofurban buses (in-motion charger, opportunity charger, overnight charger, fuelcell hybrid and diesel buses). The analysis focused on an urban bus line,running with articulated buses and is covering the whole lifespan of vehicles andinfrastructure. The analysis showed that in a lifetime perspective all electricsystems can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to buses fueledwith fossil diesel. But even until 2025 the diesel bus will be the most economicbus technology under the assumed framework. In comparison with other electricbuses, the in-motion charger is the most cost-effective bus system for high capacitylines.