Comparison of Different Battery Technologies for Electric Minibuses Using Energetic Macroscopic Representation

This paper presents a comparative usability analysis between two different battery chemistries based on energetic macroscopic representation (EMR) simulation of an electric minibus. Considering as a case study the Coimbra's electric minibuses, which currently use lead-acid batteries, a minibus model based on EMR is developed. The control scheme of the minibus power train is directly deduced from the EMR representation. To correctly analyze the minibus behavior, route data was collected by GPS with special attention to slopes and road constraints. Li-ion batteries' pack alternative is selected considering the same voltage and available space in minibus for the energy storage system. The main objective of the present study is to compare this alterative solution in terms of efficiency and autonomy.