Modeling and validation for zero emission buses

Transportation in the U.S. continues to be dominated by petroleum fuels. Criteria Air Contaminants (CAC) and Green House Gases (GHG) may result in poor air quality and environmental problems. The key to reducing vehicle related emissions is the electrification of transportation technologies. In this study, we explore two zero emission electric bus platforms, an on-route charging solution and a depot charging solution. The powertrain system analysis toolkit (PSAT) is used to develop the detailed bus models. The route profile data captured by GPS data logger are processed and used as the input for the PSAT bus models. The efficiency and driving range of the two bus platforms are compared using the actual GPS route data. In addition, the developed bus models are validated using actual field data captured from real electric buses.