New in MOBILEcharge: Substation Monitoring

Overview of the energy quantity
The Substation Monitor is a tool that provides you with a comprehensive overview of the current energy utilization of your charging infrastructure. With a clear display of all relevant data, you can see in real time how much energy is still available to charge your buses. This information is not only crucial for ongoing operations, but also for the long-term planning and optimization of your resources.

Overview of the energy sources
The Substation Monitor not only measures energy consumption, but also shows how much energy is still available from the various sources. This allows you to make decisions about vehicle charging based on actual energy availability. Ancillary consumers such as company buildings on the site, workshops or similar are also monitored.

Overview of the electrical infrastructure
The new function makes energy flows visible and independently controlled. Technical problems can be detected at an early stage. Another new feature of the system is the ability to create optimized connections between substations. This is particularly useful if a substation fails or requires maintenance, as it allows the energy distribution to be adapted flexibly. Downtimes are reduced or, in the best case, prevented.

Full control over the substations
Previously, operators could only see the charging stations and buses – now they can also see the substations. Details can be easily added and edited. Now you can make informed decisions for creating redundancy layouts in emergencies.

For further questions and insights into the MOBILEcharge demo version, please contact Leandro Campo – leandro.campo@carmedialab.com.

Optibus, a leading software platform for planning and operating more efficient, sustainable public transportation networks, has launched a new initiative to break down the silos between electric bus network planning and charging operations. The move will see Optibus partner with CarMedialab, the leading provider for charge management in public transportation, to introduce to the market an end-to-end EV management solution that enables smarter charging and higher-quality, cost-effective EV networks.

The challenge of siloed EV progresses
The siloed nature of EV operational processes has become one of the greatest challenges in planning and operating electric bus services. Charging operations, which span peak shaving, load shifting, energy consumption and prices, and charging status, are monitored and controlled using specialized smart charging software. At the same time, route planning and scheduling for electric buses is performed using its own set of dedicated e-bus scheduling software. 

The impact on services
These silos limit operators’ visibility into how routes and schedules align with and impact charging needs, and vice versa. Consequently, services may be designed with a lack of insight into important charging considerations, like battery status and costs. 

Closing the gap: integrated smart charging solution
Optibus’ move into smart charging will enable those previously siloed processes to finally speak to each other. Combining Optibus’ artificial intelligence and optimization algorithms, which ensure that plans are operational and cost-effective, with CarMedialab’s ability to monitor charging in real-time, send alerts about charging activity, and automate processes, the integrated solution will span charging plans, energy requirement predictions, cost savings through peak shifting, and reporting integration. 

Benefits for various stakeholders
Overall, the end-to-end EV management solution will create a new level of visibility for a vast array of stakeholders, including agencies, operators, depot managers, operating system providers, energy providers, city planners, government authorities, and regulators, into how charging and service plans impact each other, as well as enable the industry to make data-driven decisions about planning, operating, and implementing changes to electric bus networks. 

“Developing smart charging strategies is new territory for many public transportation operators. We are proud to be partnering with a seasoned and ground-breaking leader in this field, CarMedialab, to bring their real-world implementation experience and technology to our clients and make it easier to address the entire life cycle of EV management,” said Lior Krupsky, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Optibus. 

“We’ve known Optibus for years, but through our new joint projects we’ve learned how well we complement each other. It’s exciting to work together towards the global rollout of our smart charge management application,” said Heiko Bauer, CEO at CarMedialab.

Since 2022, the Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft, which operates under the brand name Mainzer Mobilität, has expanded its fleet with 23 environmentally friendly electric buses. With the support of a funding program from the city and federal government, this important step towards climate-neutral mobility was successfully implemented.

Smart charging with the help of MOBILEcharge
In order to charge these innovative electric buses intelligently and avoid peak loads, Mainzer Mobilität relied on the proven charge management system MOBILEcharge from CarMedialab. The buses are efficiently charged at the depot in Mainz Neustadt so that they are always ready for use without overloading the power grid. The 23 battery-powered buses are an important component on the way to a completely climate-neutral fleet. They perfectly complement the tramways already powered by green electricity and demonstrate the transport company’s clear goal towards environmentally friendly mobility.

Step by step to a climate-neutral fleet
However, the vision goes beyond the current fleet. By 2030, Mainzer Mobilität plans to operate a total of up to 100 electrically powered buses in its public transport services. In the long term, there should be exclusively climate-neutral engines in the company’s vehicles in order to actively contribute to climate protection and ensure a clean and livable environment for future generations.

With MOBILEcharge, Mainzer Mobilität has found the ideal solution for sustainable and intelligent e-mobility, which makes an important contribution to the realization of these ambitious goals. Together, we are shaping a green and emission-free future for public transport in Mainz!