Electric Bus Simulation Tech Launched
Technology claiming to help city managers simulate different routes and scenarios for electric buses is being introduced.
Innovation in Transportation (INIT), a public transport IT supplier, is rolling out eMOBILE-PLAN, a program it claims enables bus manufacturers and transit authorities introducing electric buses into their fleets to simulate situations they may encounter. The program purportedly compares scenarios that may face different types of electric bus, as well as possible routes and charge point locations.
The bus operator must input technical data on the buses into the program. Its “block and duty optimizer”, MOBILEopti2, then uses this data to generate cost-effective routes for the buses. INIT claims this will allow officials to plan timetables for electric buses and “minimize risks” while assessing effects on energy charges and staff numbers.
The program has been adopted by MAN Transportation Solutions and can be used in isolation or integrated into pre-existing transport planning systems.
