Konvekta AES-Mode reduces acquisition costs and energy consumption of e-buses

Electric mobility is the solution for many cities. But it requires new concepts and ideas, not only for city planners - also for the manufacturers of the electric buses and their suppliers.

OVB - Offenbach's public transport company is currently testing the new AES mode in their e-buses. This is a further step towards using energy more efficiently, cost-savingly and sustainably.

Manufacturers of electric buses and also their component suppliers have been faced with many new challenges. Components such as the heating and air-conditioning system suddenly became just as important as the drive, because electric mobility requires no waste heat to keep the vehicle at the right temperature. Exactly these components of the heating and air-conditioning system are responsible for the interior climate and the temperature. They do not only determine the climate, but they are also essential when it comes to topics such as energy saving and range. In various field measurements, many transport companies and bus manufacturers have found out that conventional additional heaters put such an impact on the already limited energy supply that the range partially dropped by more than 50%.

AES mode energy-efficient, cost-saving and sustainable

In comparison to that a CO2 heat pump system draws a large part of the required energy from the air and not from the battery. This system operates more than 50% more efficiently than an electric system. The new software add-on module, the AES mode (Additional Energy Storage), eliminates the need for an additional heater. Currently, every heat pump vehicle also has an additional electric heater to cover special temperature peaks during winter seasons and for the pre-heating process before starting in the morning.

With the new AES mode module, the CO2 heat pump system 1.7 is able to distribute 100% of the generated energy according to demand. This means, for example, that it can also use 100 % of the available heat for hot water preparation. Another advantage of the system is that it can take over the entire pre-conditioning process independently, even at low temperatures. Thanks to the good cooperation and the open-mindedness for new developments, OVB currently has the latest generation of Konvekta CO2 heat pumps with AES mode in testing.

Field measurement in Offenbach

The additional electric heater worked in the first heating phase with a COP (Coefficient of Performance) of 0.9 - the AES mode managed this process with a COP of >1.6. This means that in order to generate 1 kWh of heating energy, the additional electric heater needed 1.23 kWh of electricity, but the CO2 heat pump with AES mode only needs 0.63 kWh. The transport company will no longer have to pay for this 0.6 kWh of energy.