Munep2 has developed innovative planning software that helps transport operators, planners and authorities transition from diesel to electric bus services, with funding and support from EIT Climate-KIC.
The problem
The European Commission has set a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. Low-emission public transport will be key to achieving this goal.
However, the process of switching from diesel to electric bus services is far from straightforward, requiring significant changes to operations and planning. Obvious issues include electric buses’ shorter driving range, different technical specifications, and the need for a charging infrastructure. There are also different technologies on the market, each bringing their own constraints. Failing to address these complexities could result in inefficiencies and a less robust operation.
The solution
Munep2 has developed a comprehensive software system through ebusplan GmbH, the project partner commercialising the software, that simulates the operational and logistical aspects of running a bus service, from mileage and technical specifications to timetabling and route planning. The technology supports planning and decision-making for those implementing electrification strategies.
Potential users include municipal offices, urban developers, transport providers, transport operators, traffic managers and vehicle manufacturers.
The impact
Munep2’s major innovation is the unification of operation planning with optimisation algorithms and technical models. This allows the user to see the effect of choosing different vehicles, infrastructure and operation schemes, and to plan a bespoke electrification strategy. Through detailed simulations that calculate varied scenarios, the user can make informed decisions about charging strategies and infrastructure, fleet size and operational planning.
“It essentially helps evaluate specific configurations of factors to see if they are technically feasible, and at what costs and emissions reductions,” says Munep2 co-founder Philipp Sinhuber. “It also suggests using different components available on the market. For example, bus manufacturer ‘X’ might have a spec that fits. We have all this in the database so that we then can see how products perform.”
EIT Climate-KIC’s role
EIT Climate-KIC has played a central part in getting Munep2 off the ground, funding early-stage customer research and supporting crucial software development. The project began in 2010 as an EIT Climate-KIC Pathfinder project.
“We couldn’t have established the software without Climate-KIC’s help. The funding was really important in helping us develop our tools, but Climate-KIC has also guided us in networking. Through the network, we came into contact with our first project partner, the Technical University of Delft … and with many different supporting partners from the different potential customer groups,” says Sinhuber.
More information
For more information about the project specifics, please contact:
Sean Lockie, Director, Urban Transitions
E: sean.lockie@climate-kic.org