Enhancing Electric Paratransit Vehicles Feasibility Through Mixed Fleet Scheduling

Abstract: Tempo is a popular form of paratransit vehicle in the metropolitan cities of developing countries. These vehicles offer shared or individual rides, often adjusting routes and schedules to meet specific passenger needs. The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in the paratransit industry faces significant challenges, particularly in informal and locally developed transport networks. This study addresses the feasibility of electrifying paratransit vehicles in Chittagong, a port city located in the southeast part of Bangladesh. The literature reveals that the primary hurdles in the transition from organic to electric vehicles are shorter driving ranges, longer recharging times, and the unscheduled, day-variant nature of paratransit operations. In this paper, we explore two scenarios using a mixed fleet analysis: maintaining existing mobility patterns with electric vehicles and optimizing schedules based on passenger demand. Through a trip extraction method, we align these scenarios and propose solutions to facilitate the electrification process. The trip extraction process involves clustering within a radius of 150 meters. The centers of these clusters are considered as trip-stop locations. To determine the number of trip stop locations, we ran an algorithm and gradually increased the number of clusters until all the 20-minute stop locations fell within a radius of 150 meters. These trip stop locations are then used to split the tracking data. Results indicate that optimizing charging infrastructure based on passenger demand reduces the number of vehicles and chargers required, minimizes grid impact, and increases the proportion of electric vehicles in the fleet, with a slight increase in the total fleet distance covered. The electrification of paratransit vehicles is feasible in Chittagong with strategic infrastructure upgrades and proper vehicle utilization, ultimately supporting a sustainable transport system.