Operational Risks and Constraints in the Electrification of an Urban Bus Route: A Case Study of Pardubice, Czechia

Electrifying urban bus routes requires an integrated assessment of energy demand, vehicle scheduling and charging infrastructure availability. This study evaluates the operational and energy feasibility of deploying battery-electric buses on Route 6 of the urban public transport network in Pardubice, Czechia, using a combination of overnight depot charging and opportunity charging at a terminal. The methodology integrates operational data and route timetables with an energy balance model and a time-based simulation of battery state of charge (SoC). The winter scenario assumes an energy consumption of 2.7 kWh·km⁻¹, a nominal battery capacity of 346 kWh and a single terminal charging point rated at 350 kW. In all simulated vehicle duties, the minimum SoC remained above the operational threshold of 30% established by the authors. Standard weekday schedule E, with 20-minute charging sessions, recorded both a minimum and final SoC of 69.6% over a distance of 162.5 km. Weekend schedule G reached a minimum SoC of 58.0% and a final SoC of 70.5% over 221.7 km. The limiting weekday scenario C, with 15-minute charging sessions outside peak periods, reached a minimum SoC of 34.9% and ended at 49.0% over 211.2 km. The findings indicate that the proposed concept is energetically feasible under the specified conditions, but do not establish its operational robustness. Critical factors include the availability of scheduled charging windows, competing charging demands from multiple vehicles and the reliability of the single charging point. The model does not account for charging conflicts, equipment failures, battery degradation or interactions with other routes. Further assessment therefore requires probabilistic analysis and validation using year-round operational data.