The challenge: cold temperatures impact charging
Harsh Canadian winters posed a serious problem for School District No. 22’s electric bus fleet. Each morning, frigid overnight temperatures left battery packs so cold that drivers had to arrive 30 minutes early just to pre-warm the buses, costing valuable time.
If drivers didn’t have time to precondition the buses in the morning, the buses would experience significant drops in state of charge during the first 20 minutes of driving, reducing range by up to 30% and risking running out of battery mid-route.
The solution: schedule-based power management
Flipturn implemented a smart, dynamic charging system that adjusts power delivery to each vehicle based on real-time needs. Instead of charging on a fixed schedule, buses now receive a tailored overnight trickle charge that keeps batteries in the optimal temperature range and ensures they’re fully pre-conditioned by morning departure.
Flipturn’s platform observes vehicle statuses, charging sessions, and grid conditions in real time, automatically adjusting the energy flow without requiring manual intervention.
After buses return from their morning routes, Flipturn knows to not apply charging power restrictions, so the buses can charge quickly in time for their afternoon routes. However, once buses plug in for their overnight charging sessions, the schedule-based power management goes into effect.
The impact
- Drivers save 30 minutes each morning
- Improved operational reliability in cold temperatures
- Longer battery life thanks to temperature-conscious charging
Why it matters
EV infrastructure has to work everywhere, not just in mild climates. Flipturn helps school districts, transit agencies, and fleet operators adapt EV operations to real-world conditions, whether it’s freezing cold, scorching hot, or somewhere in between.
