A brief review of the techniques used to locate electric bus charging stations

Transit agencies are increasingly adopting battery electric buses (BEBs) and need to strategically place charging infrastructure to balance upfront costs and operational performance. This paper provides a robust introduction and explores options provided by artificial intelligence for optimal placement of charging stations. Subsequently, the identified algorithms and techniques are presented, as well as their respective validations. This paper presents a comprehensive review of more than 50 studies on electric bus charging station siting techniques. Optimization problems are identified that integrate factors such as site selection, station size, and the nonlinear battery charging process. The transition from conventional to electric buses requires developing adequate charging infrastructure, initially focused on large bus stations and now expanded to reduce crowding and delays at multi-port stations. The review emphasizes the importance of considering each country’s infrastructure and policies, international collaboration, development of supporting policies, investment in research and development, and adaptation to local needs to advance in this area. Suboptimal placement of charging stations can cause problems of autonomy and grid stability, underscoring the need for meticulous, data-driven planning.