Characterization of the HVAC consumption of electric buses on different climate scenarios

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) are an important part of vehicle’s consumption and represent a limiting factor to electric vehicles range. In recent years, the number of electric buses in the public transport fleet is rapidly increasing, also due to the improvement of their range and efficiency, and to the availability of infrastructures for recharging. In this work the authors focus on the analysis of the HVAC energy consumption for the Rome bus fleet and its possible evolution during this century in the framework of different IPCC sixth assessment scenarios for climate change: SSP1-1.9, SSP1.2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5. Results of this interdisciplinary approach, joining climatological simulations and HVAC consumption modeling, show no significant change in the consumption totals and distributions for the two virtuous scenarios, SSP1-1.9, and SSP1-2.6. A large increase of Air Conditioning consumption associated to a strong reduction of Heating consumption is foreseen for the worst scenarios, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.0, with prevalence of the Air Conditioning contribution. For the intermediate scenario, SSP3-4.5, the increase of Air Conditioning consumption is in large part compensated by the decrease of Heating consumption. Though, energy demand is concentrated in the summer period, when peaks are observed, with a not negligible impact on the required number of buses. On average approximately 110 additional buses in the intermediate scenario and 330 additional buses in the worst-case scenario are needed to guarantee the present operational service.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2026.101863
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259019822600028X
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/25901982
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Corazza, Matteo
  • Karagulian, Federico
  • Antonelli, Marta
  • Valentini, Maria Pia
• Publication Date: 2026-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 101863
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 2590-1982
  • Serial URL: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/transportation-research-interdisciplinary-perspectives
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air conditioning systems; Electric buses; Energy consumption; Heating (Vehicles); Vehicle range
• Geographic Terms: Rome (Italy)
• Subject Areas: Energy; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01981211
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 25 2026 1:58PM