A review of electric bus vehicles research topics – A bibliometric analysis and trends

The transportation sector counts for a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, the electrification of this sector can be a crucial contributor to the mitigation of global warming. Recent studies suggest that electric vehicles will be economically paired to internal combustion engine vehicles shortly. However, relying only on private vehicles decarbonization cannot deliver a comprehensive space efficiency solution in urban environments. Therefore, it is essential to invest in the technological development and deployment of electric buses for public transportation, directly enhancing the quality of life in large cities. From this perspective, this review examines a wide range of literature involving electric bus research using bibliometric methods and content analysis – 445 articles were analyzed, published from 2008 to 2020. The findings describe the research streams, trends, and most impacting articles. The analysis indicates that future research on electric buses will be mainly devoted to sustainability, energy management strategies, and fleet operation.