Fleet and depotmanagement
The end-to-end solution for e-mobility

The vehicle working scheduling of IVU.suite takes all relevant data into account, such as information about terrain and vehicle utilisation as well as charging station types and their power output. In addition, the system knows the power consumption of the various electric bus models as well as the age of their batteries, from which it determines a forecast of the expected range.
To ensure efficient vehicle working, the system takes steps such as minimising the number of deployed vehicles and the lengths of non-revenue trips. The optimisation also factors in charging processes automatically and takes into account factors such as the remaining range, recharge status and charging time required for the electric buses. The integrated variant planning function also allows transport operators to calculate various scenarios.

Target recharge status and target charging time, battery age, total available output, charging stations that are ready for use and energy costs: Sophisticated algorithms take every aspect of charging planning into account and determine the correct charging strategy for every vehicle and every depot. In this way, charging processes drain only as much output as is actually required. Smart peak shifting avoids load peaks and capacity overloads on the one hand and distributes charging processes dynamically across vehicles and charging stations on the other in order to enable efficient and economical charging.

The charging point monitor shows an overview of all charging points and provides information about charging processes and power consumption. At the same time, the system warns the user in the event of deviations.

As a component of IVU.suite, load and charging management can be operated alone or integrated in the depot management system. As a result, the system can grow in modular fashion according to the growth of the fleet.

Through automated processes, the depot management system of IVU.suite brings about increases in efficiency at the depot and automatically determines the optimum vehicle block, parking space and charging plan. Vehicle availability, vehicle types and services such as washing, cleaning and maintenance are all taken into consideration in the process. The direct connection between integrated load and charging management and the charging infrastructure ensures maximum efficiency and flexibility in dispatch.

The eDMS also digitalises the flow of information at the depot. In this way, drivers can see their target parking space on the on-board computer and via the display on the one hand and use the IVU.pad to find out where their vehicles are parked prior to departure on the other.
Vehicle and vehicle block status are continuously updated with actual data in the depot management system. Thanks to the tight integration with the control centre, the dispatch managers are always kept informed of a bus’s current run position.

The IVU.suite continuously monitors all aspects of a trip: from the vehicle status to the timetable situation to the current vehicle and personnel deployment. Dispatch managers therefore always have access to important information such as state of charge, remaining range, and other data relevant to operation. If energy is running out, the IVU.suite warns the dispatch managers and makes suggestions for possible measures. Moreover, the software always takes into account the dispatch-related interventions.
In order to use battery-electric buses as efficiently as possible and extend ranges, the IVU.suite supports the control centre with extensive functions. In particular, by linking operational and CAN bus data, the predicted as well as the actual status can be permanently monitored so that low states of charge do not lead to problems. This enables higher ranges, reduced vehicle deployment, and battery-saving trips. The clear user interface of the IVU.suite not only displays the state of charge, but also monitors the actual and predicted state of charge.

Uphill and downhill slopes, battery condition, vehicle type, time of day, traffic situation, passenger load, state of charge, vehicle working schedules, outside temperature, weather, vehicle weight – every detail is relevant to making the best use of electric vehicles. Sophisticated Big Data technologies facilitate the handling of this information and allow targeted analyses to exploit all potential.

This is supported by the intelligent algorithms of the IVU.suite: Machine learning makes it possible to generate accurate range forecasts depending on vehicle type, link, day of the week or time of year – the more data available, the more accurate the forecast. This ensures efficiency and saves costs – in the deployment of the electric buses as well as in the planning of the infrastructure.