Thanks to the new Power Boost Button, electric buses can be reliably charged and be ready to go even during unexpected changes to the schedule. This feature is a real game changer for anyone who needs to react quickly and flexibly in case of unforeseeable situations such as rail replacement services.

What is the Power Boost Button?
The Power Boost Button is a new function in the MOBILEcharge charge management system that makes it possible to give vehicles priority charging when required. With a single click, an electric bus can be prioritized for faster charging. This is ideal if you urgently need a bus, for example in case of unforeseen events such as traffic jams or other major occasions such as demonstrations or concerts.

Prioritization without neglecting other charging processes
The special aspect of the Power Boost Button is that it enables prioritization without neglecting other charging processes. Thanks to the clever use of energy reserves, other charging processes are not affected. The charging plan always has priority, but the Boost Button allows you to react flexibly in urgent cases.

How does the Power Boost Button work?
The operator can press the button in the charging station monitor. The system allocates any available residual energy to the vehicle being boosted. If no energy is available, the system will automatically reassess and adjust the charging priorities.

Multiple boost possible
The Power Boost Button can be used for several electric buses at the same time. This is particularly useful in situations such as the use of rail replacement services.

Additional interesting features that our charge management system has to offer can be found here: https://www.carmedialab.com/de/public-transport/charge-management/

At CarMedialab, we are proud to be a leading player in electromobility, especially when it comes to public transportation. In this context, CarMedialab’s charge management software was recently presented by Mobility Portal Europe.

In the interview, founder and Managing Director Heiko Bauer explains the importance of this system in today’s world. “With MOBILEcharge, we have created a solution that not only monitors the charging process, but also forecasts energy requirements and automatically adjusts charging plans.” This means a considerable improvement in operational processes, as the vehicles are always available on time and optimally charged.

A key feature of MOBILEcharge is its ability to work with systems from different manufacturers, which ensures broad applicability. The function of preconditioning the battery and cabin temperature is also particularly noteworthy. This extends the battery life and improves the passenger experience.

This type of technology will not only be essential for the future of urban mobility, but will also help to reduce the ecological footprint. Read the full article here: https://mobilityportal.eu/carmedialab-wsmart-charge-ebus/

The Energy Manager is a new user role in MOBILEcharge that is specifically designed to monitor the charging processes of your electric buses. The role offers authorized users extended control over your charging infrastructure.

Functions of the Energy Manager:

• Tariff management: Easily add and customize tariff information
  
• Customization of charging targets: Global target SOCs (State of Charge) can be flexibly set 
  
• Limiting energy consumption: Set energy limits per depot or vehicle
  
• Specialized access control: Access to certain functions and simple operation for authorized users
  
• Create efficient charging profiles: Possibility to store specific charging profiles for individual needs

Configuring the charging strategy and monitoring energy consumption
The Energy Manager allows efficient setting and monitoring of the charging strategy. This includes functions such as an admin tool for charging profiles and tariffs as well as a dashboard and monitors for charging stations and substations to keep an overview at all times. With the new Energy Manager in MOBILEcharge, we are launching a feature that simplifies and further optimizes the management of your electric bus fleet. Stay tuned for further updates and keep an eye out for the next developments in the world of electromobility.

We are pleased to announce that we have won the tender from TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona). As part of this project, CarMedialab will implement the system MOBILEcharge for TMB’s entire electric bus fleet.

Implementing MOBILEcharge into 200 charging stations
The partnership involves implementing an intelligent management platform for the electric charging processes of TMB fleet. The contract includes the connection of over 200 charging stations and intelligent networking with operational systems and energy supply.

Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, a transportation giant
TMB operates two transport networks – the bus network and the subway network. With a fleet of over a 1000 vehicles and more than 100 routes, the bus network covers over 900 km between Barcelona and the ten cities in the metropolitan area. 

We are delighted to work with TMB and contribute to the development of sustainable mobility in one of Europe’s most dynamic cities.

For further information please contact:
Leandro Campo | Sales Manager Public Transport
leandro.campo@carmedialab.com

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!