Bachelor and Master Theses

Context and Motivation

As cities transition toward cleaner and smarter mobility systems, electric buses are becoming central to sustainable public transport strategies. Beyond their transport function, these vehicles hold the potential to serve as mobile energy storage units, contributing to grid flexibility, renewable energy integration, and energy market participation.

Through Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, electric bus fleets can interact bidirectionally with the power grid—charging during low-demand periods and discharging stored energy back to the grid during peaks. When integrated with fixed second-life Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), fleets become part of a mobility-integrated energy ecosystem that enhances grid stability and supports the local energy transition.

In this emerging system, bus operators and public transport companies (e.g., LLT, Transdev) evolve from being energy consumers to active participants and service providers in the energy market. They can generate new revenue streams from energy resale, reduce grid dependency and infrastructure costs, and optimize fleet operations through AI-based charge scheduling and grid interface software.

However, realizing this potential requires innovative business models, data-driven orchestration, and ecosystem collaboration that align energy market dynamics with fleet management practices. Understanding how these systems create, deliver, and capture value across stakeholders is key to designing scalable and circular mobility-energy ecosystems.

Purpose:
This research aims to map and analyze circular ecosystems and business models for Mobility-Integrated Energy Systems utilizing Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies in public transport. The study will identify the actors, value flows, digital capabilities, and regulatory enablers that allow bus operators to transition from conventional fleet management toward energy service provision within a circular and data-driven framework.

Main Research Question (RQ):
How can circular ecosystems and business models be designed and mapped for mobility-integrated energy systems using Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies, enabling bus operators to deliver sustainable, flexible, and value-creating energy services?

Research setting and research group 

Thesis work will be performed as part of research project, SmartCharg (Smart and Circular Battery Charging Solutions). You will be working with Eskilstuna Kommun and Luleå Kommun. You can search the projects on MDU webpage for more information. This thesis work will be part of the research group DigiCircle (Digital and Circular Industrial Services). The group is currently leading research projects on battery circularity, digital and circular business models, digital servitization, and circular ecosystems with more than 10 industrial companies, public funded companies, municipalities, and industrial clusters. Your thesis work will be used as a knowledge development as part of the group and will be used in the relevant courses, projects or publications upon completion. 

Education in one of these areas (Industrial engineering and management, product development, innovation management, business management, product and process development, energy engineering and management) and familiar with circular economy, business models, Industry 4.0 or digital transformation.