Rapid transit network design for on-line electric vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are inevitably environmental friendly and energy efficient alternatives compared to their thermal counterparts. However, dependency on battery capacity and extensive charging duration have hindered the widespread adoption of EVs. Recently, on-line electric vehicles (OLEVs) which exploit inductive charging and are able to charge wirelessly through electric coils embedded in the ground have emerged as an upgrade to regular EVs. This paper investigates the potential use of OLEVs in the context of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, taking advantage of reduced charging times and the fixed-route structure of BRTs, which can permit the use of dedicated charging lanes. A mathematical model for efficient design of an OLEV network is presented and subsequently demonstrated for a case study in Athens, Greece.