Every bus trip counts toward sustainability goals
The benefits of public transportation are clear: fewer cars on the road open up cities while reducing congestion and CO2 emissions. By optimizing every aspect of the journey, public transportation can become even more efficient. Digitalization and real-time data are both keys to sustainability, enabling optimization of efficiency and reduction of wasted energy, costs, and emissions. In this article, we share three examples.
Smart heating and cooling on board
Vehicle preconditioning is a clear example. At first glance, this seems straightforward – the bus needs to be at the right temperature for drivers and passengers when service begins. But looking at how this has traditionally been achieved reveals opportunities for a more sustainable approach. Many buses are still heated overnight to ensure they're ready for morning service – even when they're not scheduled to run until midday.
By automating each bus's heating system based on its actual service schedule, you can minimize the amount of preheating or cooling required. Operators simply set parameters for when each vehicle enters service and what temperature it needs to reach. This data is combined with sensor readings showing the vehicle's actual temperature, so the heating system activates automatically at the right time to ensure comfortable conditions when drivers and passengers board.
When buses aren't heated during periods they're not in use, you can save 15, 000–20, 000 kWh per bus per year. That represents significant savings in both costs and CO2 emissions. Multiply that across hundreds or thousands of vehicles in a fleet, and the potential impact becomes clear.
How drivers can reduce costs and CO2 emissions
While electrification promises a greener future, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from older buses remains important in the meantime. EcoDriving services can make a real difference by giving drivers real-time feedback on how their driving style affects fuel consumption and emissions.
Efficient driving can significantly reduce fuel consumption. Services that coach drivers by showing how acceleration, braking, and idling patterns affect the bus's CO2 emissions can reduce emissions by up to 12 percent. Drivers receive immediate feedback on their driving and can adjust their behavior to reduce emissions.
Caption: Example of how information from the bus's sensors can be presented to the driver, enabling them to act on the information and adjust their driving style to reduce fuel consumption. The image shows information visualized on a screen.
Predictive maintenance before vehicles break down
Proactively maintaining a well-functioning fleet means staying ahead of mechanical problems before they occur. Real-time data from a bus's digital systems makes it possible to monitor vehicle health and identify potential mechanical issues before they happen. This reduces total vehicle downtime and helps avoid service disruptions.
Monitoring and analyzing vehicle performance also allows you to assess operational efficiency and ensure vehicles are running well and sustainably. Even minor issues like an incorrect thermostat setting can increase a bus's energy consumption by up to 10 percent.
Caption: Example of how information from the vehicle fleet is collected and visualized in a digital interface. This shows a list of the operation's vehicles and what data is available. In this example, the system operator has chosen to view details for a warning and opened a view showing current brake pad wear on one of their buses. The values indicate it's time to replace the pads on at least one wheel where no wear margin remains.
The advantage of digitalization, when done right, is that operations can continue to evolve using the data collected. By using open IoT platforms and common standards, you can continuously find new ways to unlock greater efficiency as different types of capabilities develop. For a public transport operator, this means building a foundation from which you can keep finding ways to use data insights to reduce both costs and carbon emissions.