A Comparative Analysis of Battery Electric Buses for Diesel Fleet Conversion in Medellin, Colombia

This paper presents a comparative analysis between two types of electric buses, i.e., a dual-mode bus that is fed from overhead lines and Lithium-ferrophofate (LFP) batteries, and a Lithium-titanate (LTO) battery bus, to propose an environmentally friendly replacement for the diesel bus fleet that currently operates in a public transportation route in Medellin, Colombia. In the first step of this study, the energy consumption of a single bus is calculated for a complete ride of the route, using geographical information from Google Earth and the simulation software Open Track. After that, the energy consumption and the total active power profile of the complete fleet is determined, considering its dispatch information. Finally, the batteries and the electrical feeding infrastructure are sized for the complete fleet, particularly the traction substations and the chargers, and the costs are compared for both technologies in a particular scenario. The results of this analysis show a similar technical and cost performance of both technologies under the simulated operation conditions; however, the dual-mode buses with dynamic charging present operational advantages that may extend the battery life.