Without experiences of electric buses, public transport authorities and bus operators have faced questions about how to implement them in a cost-effective way. Simple cost modelling cannot show how costs for different types of electric buses differ between different routes and timetables. Tools (e.g., HASTUS, PtMS, and optibus) which can analyse such details are complicated, time consuming to use, and provide insufficient insights into the mechanisms that influence the cost. This paper therefore proposes a method for how to calculate total cost of ownership, for different types of electric buses, in a way which can predict how the cost varies based on route and timetable. The method excludes factors which cause minor cost variations in an almost random manor, in order to better show the fundamental mechanisms influencing different costs. The method will help in finding ways to reduce the cost and help to define a few cases which deserve a deep analysis with more complete tools. Testing of the method in a Swedish context showed that the results are in line with other theoretical and practical studies, and how the total cost of ownership can vary depending on the variables.

A user acceptance questionnaire study was carried out during the first phase of the Shared Shuttle Services (S3) pilot project in Gothenburg Sweden. Autonomous vehicles in the form of shuttle buses (AV shuttles) embody three major developments in transportation: mobility solutions that are electrified, shared, and automated. The adoption of these three developments is closely connected to the UN SDG (11) Sustainable cities and communities and in order to achieve any broader societal benefits, it is crucial to understand and address user acceptance and adoption of these services in real-life settings. The questionnaire included attitudinal and context specific questions, resulting in overall high ratings except for perceived speed and comfort. Still, the main reasons for not wanting to use the AV shuttle services could be linked to performance expectancy, route reasons and effort expectancy. Future implementations of AV shuttles will need to address this in order to expect any widespread adoption.

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