Operational Feasibility of Battery Swapping in U.S. Transit: A Case Study of King County Metro The Ohio State University

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Vadlapatla, Taraka Rishi, author.

Jankord, Gregory, author.

D'Arpino, Matilde, author.

Conference Name:

WCX SAE World Congress Experience (2026-04-14 : Detroit, Michigan, United States)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public transportation systems.

Batteries.

Buses.

Fleets.

Computer simulation.

Research and development.

Local Subjects:

Public transportation systems.

Batteries.

Buses.

Fleets.

Computer simulation.

Research and development.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 2026

Summary:

Battery swapping technology has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional charging for electric bus fleets, offering rapid turnaround times and improved vehicle availability. This paper utilizes existing bus routing information to perform an initial site evaluation for battery swapping stations. A Seattle-based public transit agencyKing County Metro, a partner on this projectis used as a case study. Using General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data from King County Metro, a MATLAB model was built to reconstruct blocks and layovers, extracts dwell-time opportunities, and performs block-distance and block-time analyses to understand operational rhythms. based bus model was developed that maps route mileage, efficiency, and layover availability for battery swap decisions, using a look-ahead rule that defers battery exchanges whenever the next feasible layover can still be reached while respecting a minimum state-of-charge. The workflow estimates how many swaps each block requires over a service day, the effective driving range a pack can deliver between swaps, and the spatial clustering of recurring layovers. This clustering, combined with assumed battery swapping time provides initial identification of suitable battery swapping station placement. Results indicate that swap windows naturally emerge from scheduled layovers, enabling a swapping system to be layered onto current service patterns, providing estimates for station sizing by corridor demand, and planned within existing operational constraints. The approach offers a practical template for transit agencies to assess technical and operational feasibility and to start planning right-sized battery swapping infrastructure

Notes:

Vendor supplied data

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license