Overview
ISO 37158:2019 - Smart community infrastructures: Smart transportation using battery-powered buses for passenger services specifies a procedure for introducing battery-powered buses into city-centre transit. The standard focuses on maintaining or improving service quality while reducing air pollution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, noise and vibration. It promotes substitution of internal-combustion-engine buses with battery-powered buses without disrupting existing schedules, facilities or passenger services.
Key Topics
- Scope and intent: Guidance for planning and operating battery-powered bus services that deliver safe, comfortable rides and a cleaner, quieter urban environment.
- Minimum operational requirements:
- Recharging: Recharging (or battery swap/wireless charging if it does not disturb operations) must fit existing work schedules and terminal stand-by times. Electrical capacity and renewable energy options are considered.
- Scheduling / dispatching: Timetables and dispatch processes should continue to support current service performance when replacing diesel buses with electric buses.
- Maintenance: Cleaning, inspection and overhaul should be integrated into current maintenance schedules as far as practical.
- Passenger services: Fare payment, boarding, seating and capacity must not be degraded by the transition.
- Safety & ride comfort: Battery-powered buses should provide safer, smoother acceleration/braking than combustion buses; use published metrics to demonstrate improvement.
- Operational conditions: Operate under same weather, climate and driving conditions as conventional buses; no special driver skills should be necessary (though emergency procedures may differ).
- Energy saving: Optimize schedules and driving performance to minimize battery energy consumption.
- Quality maintenance:
- Monitor parameters such as traffic flow, share of battery-bus transport, air pollution level (including GHGs), noise/vibration, and onboard safety incidents.
- Modify operating conditions if observed parameters do not improve or remain unchanged.
Applications
ISO 37158:2019 is practical for:
- City planners and municipal governments planning low-emission urban transport solutions.
- Transit agencies and operators transitioning fleets to battery-powered buses while preserving service quality.
- Vehicle manufacturers and system integrators designing buses and charging infrastructure compatible with existing operations.
- Energy utilities and infrastructure providers assessing charging capacity and renewable integration.
- Policy makers and sustainability officers who need standardized guidance to reduce urban air pollution and noise.
Related Standards
- ISO 37101:2016 (sustainable cities and communities) is referenced as a related purpose framework. Work was prepared by ISO/TC 268 (Sustainable cities and communities).
Keywords: ISO 37158:2019, smart community infrastructures, smart transportation, battery-powered buses, electric buses, recharging, scheduling, maintenance, ride comfort, energy saving, air pollution, GHG, urban transit.