Electric bus course: operation and maintenance
Online course of 300 hours in electric buses: operation and maintenance, in 6 modules covering electric bus technology, fleet charging strategies, operations planning, electric bus maintenance, and fleet management and economics, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe the traction, battery and auxiliary technology of electric buses.
Design depot and opportunity charging strategies.
Plan route operations taking account of consumption, climate and range.
Organise the safe maintenance of electric bus fleets.
Calculate total cost of ownership against other technologies.
Apply the Clean Vehicles Directive to fleet renewal.
Develop an electrification plan for a bus fleet.
Who it's for
- Fleet maintenance managers.
- Heavy-duty electric vehicle technicians.
- Transport planning engineers.
- Charging infrastructure managers.
- Operations managers at bus operators.
- Public transport consultants.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter urban public transport.
What you'll work with
- UN Regulation No. 100 (electric power train safety)
- UN Regulation No. 107 (general construction of buses and coaches)
- IEC 61851-23 (DC electric vehicle charging stations)
- ISO 15118 (vehicle-to-grid communication interface)
- SAE J3105 (conductive charging via automated connection devices)
- Directive (EU) 2019/1161 (Clean Vehicles Directive)
- EN 50110-1 (operation of electrical installations)
- UN Regulation No. 10 (electromagnetic compatibility)
- PTV Visum
- Optibus
- MATLAB/Simulink
- AVL Cruise M
6 modules
1.1Central motor versus in-wheel motors1.2LFP and NMC batteries for urban buses1.3Cabin climate control with heat pump1.4Electric auxiliaries: steering, compressed air and compressors1.5Articulated and low-floor buses1.6Battery trolleybuses and in-motion charging1.7Fuel cell buses1.8Comparison of European manufacturers1.9Construction requirements of UN Regulation No. 1071.10Workshop: energy balance of an urban bus
2.1Overnight depot charging2.2Opportunity charging with pantograph2.3Inverted pantograph to SAE J31052.4CCS charging and ISO 15118 communication2.5Power management in depots2.6Grid connection and transformer substations2.7Planning the number of charging points2.8Charging back-office and the OCPP protocol2.9Experience with inductive charging2.10Practical exercise: charging plan for a 100-bus depot
3.1Consumption by route and topography3.2Influence of climate and air conditioning3.3Service and block scheduling3.4Progressive electrification of routes3.5Route and range simulation3.6Management of reserves and contingencies3.7Driver training in efficient driving3.8Integration with the operations support system3.9Fleet availability indicators3.10Case study: electrification of an urban route
4.1Preventive maintenance plan4.2Safety in high-voltage work4.3Staff qualification to EN 50110-14.4Battery diagnostics and state of health4.5Maintenance of motors and inverters4.6Service brakes and regeneration4.7Heat pump maintenance4.8Inspection of pantographs and chargers4.9Spare parts and warranty management4.10Laboratory: diagnosing an insulation fault
5.1Total cost of ownership versus diesel and CNG5.2Telemetry and fleet data analysis5.3Battery life cycle management5.4Second life of bus batteries5.5Tenders and the Clean Vehicles Directive5.6Financing and battery leasing5.7Public transport funding5.8Fleet environmental indicators5.9Experience from European operators5.10Case study: TCO of a fleet renewal
6.1Analysis of the route network6.2Selection of vehicles and batteries6.3Charging and depot strategy6.4Simulation of daily operation6.5Maintenance and staffing plan6.6Electrical connection requirements6.7Economic assessment and funding6.8Phased implementation plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is PTV Visum, Optibus, MATLAB/Simulink and AVL Cruise M, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: energy simulation of bus routes, depot charging planning and diagnosis of high-voltage faults. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: UN Regulation No. 100, UN Regulation No. 107, IEC 61851-23, ISO 15118, SAE J3105, Directive (EU) 2019/1161, EN 50110-1, UN Regulation No. 10.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with PTV Visum, Optibus, MATLAB/Simulink and AVL Cruise M, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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