Optimizing Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure: A Bi-Level Mathematical Model for Strategic Station Location and Off-Board Charger Allocation in Transportation Network

This study presented a novel bi-level mathematical model for designing charging infrastructure in an interstate electric bus transportation network, specifically addressing long-haul operations. To the best of our knowledge, no existing study integrates charging station locations with the number of off-board chargers while simultaneously optimizing their allocation and charging schedules. The proposed model fills this gap by formulating an exact algorithm using a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). The first-level model determines the optimal placement and number of charging stations. The second-level model optimizes the number of off-board chargers, charger allocation, and bus charging schedules. This ensures operational efficiency and integration of decisions between both levels. The experiments and sensitivity analysis were conducted on a real case study of an interstate bus network in Thailand. The results provided valuable insights for policymakers and transportation planners in designing cost-effective and efficient electric bus transportation systems. The proposed model provides a practical framework for developing eco-friendly transportation networks, encouraging sustainability, and supporting the broader adoption of electric buses.