Optimizing Electric Bus Efficiency: Evaluating Seasonal Performance in a Southern USA Transit System
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Electric buses (EBs) are increasingly adopted for their environmental and operational benefits, yet their real-world efficiency is influenced by climate, route characteristics, and auxiliary energy demands. While most existing research identifies winter as the most energy-intensive season due to cabin heating and reduced battery performance, this study presents a contrasting perspective based on a three-year longitudinal analysis of the LYMMO fleet in Orlando, Florida—a subtropical U.S. region. The findings reveal that summer is the most energy-intensive season, primarily due to sustained HVAC usage driven by high ambient temperatures—a seasonal pattern rarely reported in the current literature and a key regional contribution. Additionally, idling time exceeds driving time across all seasons, with HVAC usage during idling emerging as the dominant contributor to total energy consumption. To mitigate these inefficiencies, a proxy-based HVAC energy estimation method and an optimization model were developed, incorporating ambient temperature and peak passenger load. This approach achieved up to 24% energy savings without compromising thermal comfort. Results validated through non-parametric statistical testing support operational strategies such as idling reduction, HVAC control, and seasonally adaptive scheduling, offering practical pathways to improve EB efficiency in warm-weather transit systems.
Source: Future Transportation
Authors: MD Rezwan Hossain, Arjun Babuji, Md. Hasibul Hasan, Haofei Yu, Amr Oloufa, Hatem Abou-Senna
Institution: University of Central Florida
Language: English
Subfield: Automotive Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,207
Award: G5459060122
OpenAlex ID: W4413265126