Last winter, a depot outside Oslo looked more like a snowfield than a transport hub. Temperatures dropped below –20°C, and drivers waded through slush to unplug buses caked in ice. Mechanics rotated between heaters to thaw frozen connectors. Dispatchers stared at charging dashboards that changed by the minute. Yet by sunrise, hundreds of electric buses rolled out on schedule — quietly, de-iced, and on time.
Keeping that kind of precision in the middle of a Nordic winter doesn’t happen by luck. It takes planning, data, and a system that doesn’t freeze up when the weather does.
The Challenge of Electrifying in Extreme Weather
As cities move to electric fleets, operators are discovering that batteries have opinions about temperature. Heatwaves drain energy; sub-zero cold slows everything down. Buses that normally need one charge a day might suddenly need two or three.
An independent review by NorConsult found three major pain points facing operators:
- Energy consumption spikes in extreme heat or cold, forcing more frequent charging and stretching depot schedules.
- Infrastructure bottlenecks, from underperforming chargers to mismatched equipment deliveries, delay departures.
- Operational complexity: a growing mix of vehicle types, charging systems, and unpredictable conditions makes depot management harder than ever.
Europe’s cities are charging ahead with electric fleets, some faster than their infrastructure can keep up. Depots fill with new buses, chargers, and dashboards, but the fundamentals remain the same. Every vehicle still has to leave on time. When temperatures swing from 30°C to –20°C, keeping that promise becomes its own test.
Bringing Control to Complexity
Tenix Charge is an advanced Charge Point Management System (CPMS) that helps operators manage electric bus fleets without the daily last minute scrambles.
At its core, Tenix Charge coordinates energy use across every bus, charger, and shift plan. It predicts when each vehicle will need power and when to hold back, balancing schedules with real-world constraints like weather, grid limits, and route demands.
Behind the scenes, the platform forecasts power demand hours or even days ahead and adjusts in real time as conditions change. If a charger breaks down or a grid alert limits available power, Tenix Charge reshuffles priorities automatically so every bus that needs to leave still does. It is automation designed for people, giving depot teams the visibility and control to stay ahead instead of react.
How It Works
Smart charging that thinks ahead
Using machine learning, Tenix Charge analyses route plans, energy prices, and capacity limits to schedule optimal charging times. Operators using the system have seen energy costs drop by 16–27%.
A live view of depot activity
Managers can monitor every charger, bus, and circuit in real time — preventing bottlenecks and avoiding the pre-dawn scramble.
Battery health, under constant watch
Continuous monitoring of each battery’s State of Health (SoH) supports predictive maintenance and longer battery life. It’s not just about uptime; it’s about extending the value of the fleet.
Proving Itself in Nordic Conditions
The true test came during one of Norway’s harshest winters. A major transport operator relying on Tenix Charge maintained 95% accuracy in bus route scheduling, despite heavy snow and freezing temperatures.
Behind the scenes, the system’s algorithms constantly adjusted charging priorities — ensuring buses were ready when they needed to be, even when the elements weren’t cooperating.
Electrification That Endures
Electrifying public transport isn’t just a technology upgrade. It’s a commitment to reliability — to keeping cities moving, no matter what the forecast says.
Tenix Charge helps operators deliver on that promise: smarter charging, calmer depots, and buses that simply get where they’re going.
Because in the end, the weather doesn’t care how advanced your technology is. But your passengers do.
