Researchers of the Dencity program at Bern University of Applied Sciences set out to develop a tool to optimize, reroute or implement new bus routes in collaboration with the bus manufacturer HESS AG. The goal was not only to optimize land use and spatial planning in urban environments, but also to reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions from urban mobility.

The e-MIP (electro-Mobility-Information Planning) cockpit is the product of this endeavor. It is a quantitative spatial simulation and evaluation platform that uses coherent big data to analyze bus routes. It is particularly designed for e-bus lines that rely on battery charging infrastructure or in-motion-charging systems. For the analysis, e-MIP uses spatial, environmental and route data as well as statistical information about mobility users and their behavior. This data is combined and then current or new bus routes are evaluated in terms of energy consumption (CO₂ emissions), urban density, municipality type and public transport criteria. The e-MIP user interface serves as a consulting tool for stakeholders and allows for a more precise evaluation of mobility demand and more advanced bus route planning. This helps avoid ineffective planning and investments in public transport.

In a first pilot study, the e-MIP platform was used to assess new routes for SwissTrolley plus, an e-bus developed by HESS AG in collaboration with research groups from SCCER Mobility. This will ultimately promote reducing CO₂ emissions by increasing the deployment of e-busses and the quality of urban mobility.

Prof. Joachim Huber leads the Dencity program at Bern University of Applied Sciences and is a member of Capacity Area B1.

For more information, visit the e-MIP webpage or watch the e-MIP video (in German).