Discrete-Event Simulation of Electric Transit Buses for Broome County Transportation

This paper evaluates the impact on route reliability of a New York Transit Agency transitioning from diesel to electric vehicles. The vehicles and transit routes were modeled in SIMIO using mapped routes and average vehicle performance metrics. The goal of the model was to determine the impact of vehicle parameters such as battery size, depot charger power, opportunity charger power, and system efficiency on transit reliability. The investigation results suggest investment into opportunity charging could maintain route reliability more than higher powered depot chargers or larger batteries. The simulation provides a strong case for Hybrid-electric vehicles, which ensure route reliability while significantly reducing emissions.