During the Global Mobility Call, the Optibus team, a company specialized in software and technology solutions for planning and operating public transportation fleets, unveiled two of their latest success stories to Mobility Portal Europe.
“One of the innovation projects we’re working on involves electric buses in the Middle East,” explained Carolina Monteiro, Optibus’s Commercial Director for Iberia.
“One of our clients needed to integrate 25 buses with their chargers into the transport system, each valued at half a million dollars,” she added.
“Before making the investment, we conducted a series of analyses and studies that allowed us to reduce the planned fleet by up to five vehicles, resulting in a savings of 2.5 million dollars,” added Clara San Millán, an Account Executive for Iberia.
The reduction in the number of units to be acquired not only lowered acquisition costs but also had a positive impact on operational and service expenses.
The second success story is related to an initiative taking place in England, with details expected to be revealed in the near future.
Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that the company is actively seeking new clients in Europe.
“In the Spanish market, we’ve observed significant interest from public entities and operators in aligning with European guidelines and expanding their electric fleets,” commented San Millán.
“This transition is one area where Optibus can assist, reducing investment costs and planning the most efficient and optimized operation,” she added.
The fact is that the company has the capability to provide efficient planning and scheduling for zero-emission units.
“We aim to gain more visibility to reach all operators and public entities and thus help them transition to meet emission reduction and sustainability goals,” said the Account Executive.
Fleet Optimization: Diesel vs. Electric
Optibus enters the electromobility market with the aim of optimizing fleets, as operating internal combustion vehicles is not the same as operating zero-emission units.
While a private company or a public organization may have enough funds to purchase e-buses, it will be essential for them to create an operational plan to avoid incurring losses.
In this regard, Optibus proposes carrying out planning that includes a study of how many vehicles are needed and how charging points should be arranged so that, when making the investment, the money is allocated correctly.
“Some clients have contacted us because they had buses parked, unable to charge the batteries due to a lack of charging stations. When the units return to the depots, depending on the planning, each vehicle needs to be charged to a certain level to continue the service,” says San Millán.
By avoiding these conflicts related to the number of chargers and vehicle service frequencies, companies can save significant amounts of money.
What is Optibus?
Optibus is a comprehensive, cloud-native software platform for public transportation planning, scheduling, rostering, operations, and passenger information, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and optimization algorithms.
Public transportation agencies and operators in over 4,000 cities worldwide rely on Optibus to enhance their operational efficiency, service quality, promote transportation equity, reduce emissions and costs, and modernize their operations.
They currently serve both public and private clients on all continents and have offices in various parts of the world, including Lisbon, London, Berlin, Paris, the United States, and Brazil, among other locations.
