Diesel buses out, electric buses in – that would be nice. Yet the company filling station cannot be turned into a charging station at the press of a button. The eMobility Consulting experts know that only too well. This is where the team comes in with its consulting approach.

Anyone hooking up their electric car to the socket in the garage can charge the battery of a Smart EQ Fortwo in eight hours. In comparison, a Mercedes-Benz eCitaro with a battery capacity of 243 kWh would have to be connected to a household socket for about 100 hours, because it only charges at 2.3 kW. For a fleet of 20 electric buses, up to 3,000 kW (three megawatts) would be needed, because an eCitaro can be charged at up to 150 kW.

The first step on the way to electromobility leads to the grid operator. Transport companies’ depots are often on industrial estates. They have a power supply of around 10 to 20 kV with power lines as thick as a person’s thigh. Yet woe if a large consumer, such as a big bakery with a high electricity demand at night, is connected to it. Then a thicker cable is necessary.

But how is it at the depot? Where should the charging stations and the electric buses go? Should the power be supplied from above to make the installation easier and prevent damage from manoeuvring? Are extra lanes for quick interim charging needed to avoid a power supply for charging on public roads?

Then it comes to the power supplier. If all the buses dock at the same time in the evening, they will consume a lot of electricity – peak power at peak tariffs. This means capping power peaks because not every bus sets off at the same time. Not every bus enters the depot with completely empty batteries. And continuous, maximum charging capacity strains batteries. For planning and implementing charging infrastructure, you need to think from the end. It is crucial that every bus sets off on its route with a full battery and is charged as carefully as possible beforehand. Intelligent charging systems are aware of departure times and routes. They weigh all buses, minimising the maximum electricity demand. Preconditioning is even taken into account when the passenger compartment and battery are cooled in summer and heated in winter just before setting off. EvoBus is providing the transport operators and their IT systems with the basic vehicle data for this via a backend system. eMobility Consulting is offering support in this respect in the run-up to procurement measures.

Not every charging device is perfectly compatible with every electric bus either. Does the charging process start as required? Will the necessary capacity be reached? Are all safety functions guaranteed? The developers of the eCitaro have tested marketable charging devices and can give information regarding their compatibility. Over and above this, on request Mercedes-Benz can supply the eCitaro together with the necessary charging infrastructure specially matched to the bus. The portfolio for charging infrastructure solutions is being further developed together with cooperation partners.

This all takes time for the transport operators, up to four years depending on the necessary preliminary work and the extent of the conversion. On the way to converting to electromobility, the experts from eMobility Consulting provide support. They analyse the operational feasibility and help design the charging infrastructure. Until the first eCitaro hums quietly and emission-free along the roads. That will not happen at the press of a button either but rather like clockwork.