Institute of Transportation, MOTC

       The Institute of Transportation, MOTC (henceforth the IOT) has used AI and AIoT integration technologies to create an e-bus smart charging management system. The charging operations of e-bus fleets have been optimized based on e-bus characteristics, bus operators’ operational needs, and Taiwan Power Company's power supply situation. By verifying the performance of 64 e-bus charging stations in Shilin District, Taipei City (the bus stops currently with the highest number of e-buses in Taiwan), it has been proven that e-buses that adopt the smart charging management system can extend the battery life of vehicles by about 20%, save labor costs at bus stops by 30%-50%, and reduce stop contract capacity by 30-50%. Currently, two major bus operators in Taipei City (Capital Bus Group and Chung Shing Group) use the smart charging management system, and the system has been in use in numerous e-bus stops in Taichung City and New Taipei.
In Support of Taiwan’s Goal of Net-Zero Emissions by 2050, Electric Buses Play a Crucial Role.
       Taiwan promulgated the “Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050” in March 2022, which outlines 12 key strategies, amongst which  “full electrification of Taiwan’s urban bus transportation network by 2030” is a critical plan for the transportation sector to meet the 2050 net-zero transformation goal. Thanks to the combined efforts of bus operators, county and city governments, and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, MOTC in recent years, the total number of domestic e-buses has surpassed 1,800. However, the effective management of charging concentration needs and energy distribution in large fleets will be a new challenge that must be addressed immediately. If this issue cannot be resolved, bus operators’ willingness to introduce e-buses will suffer.
Four Strategies: Pushing for Smart Charging Management System Verification and Promotion.
       The “full electrification of Taiwan’s urban bus transportation network by 2030” policy not only promotes the “energy transformation” of the domestic public transportation industry, but also provides an opportunity for the “digital transformation” of industrial operations and services. To address this challenge, the Institute of Transportation, MOTC (IOT) created a smart charging system and proposed four strategies to help bus operators optimize e-bus energy management, smart charging, and operational management operations. The four strategies include: (1) Unify charging interfaces. Implement interministerial coordination to establish a unified charging standard and interface. This ensures that all e-buses can charge quickly at any charging station, increasing charging convenience; (2) Develop a transportation big data platform and AIoT technology. Monitor and manage the charging status of bus fleets at all times, optimize charging resource distribution, and reduce charging costs and energy waste; (3) Collaborate across departments to test and deploy smart charging in e-bus stops. In actual bus stops, test and deploy the smart charging management system to ensure that the system functions meet the needs of bus operators; (4) Smart charging management system subscription policy. Bus operators are encouraged to use this system to help populate the smart charging management system.
Smart Charging Management System: Increasing the Resilience of Energy Management in Smart cities and Regional Power Grids.
        E-buses can be viewed as both a mode of transportation and a source of energy. Remaining power during off-peak hours can be stored in buses, allowing for flexible planning and application of power stored in e-bus fleets. When power is scarce, the Internet of Things (IoT) and V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) technologies can be used to mobilize the power of e-buses to support critical infrastructure or regional power grids, thus strengthening the resilience of energy management in smart cities and regional power grids, thus ensuring that the benefit from every kilowatt of power is maximized. Looking ahead, the e-bus smart charging management system will not only improve e-bus charging efficiency, but it will also provide innovative solutions for future energy management in smart cities.
       Smart charging technology will be further developed by the Institute of Transportation, MOTC (IOT) to manage and distribute power among bus operators, charging stations, and systems. As a result, system reliability can be increased and construction costs reduced. Furthermore, local governments can be advised on how to invest in public charging stations for a variety of vehicles. Charging management can be done simultaneously for e-buses and passenger cars. The current domestic situation of insufficient charging piles for passenger cars is expected to improve, while the use of charging piles established through the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ subsidy, can be increased.