An Integrated CRITIC-MARCOS and Entropy-MARCOS Framework for Electric Bus Selection: Robustness and Sensitivity in Objective Multi-Criteria Decision-Making

The accelerating electrification of public transport systems has increased the need for objective and transparent decision-support tools in electric bus (e-bus) procurement. Although multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches are frequently employed to evaluate e-bus alternatives, limited attention has been paid to the consistency of rankings produced by different objective weighting techniques. This study addresses this gap by proposing an integrated evaluation framework that combines the CRITIC-MARCOS and Entropy-MARCOS methods to assess e-bus alternatives against technical and operational criteria. Six e-bus models are evaluated using nine performance indicators structured as benefit and cost criteria, reflecting the procurement context of a central public transport authority in a large metropolitan area. Criterion weights are independently calculated using the CRITIC and Entropy approaches and subsequently integrated into the MARCOS method to generate alternative rankings. To examine the robustness of the results, a sensitivity analysis based on the TOPSIS and Average Ranking Methods is conducted. The findings indicate that the proposed framework produces consistent and stable rankings across different weighting techniques. These results suggest that integrating multiple objective weighting methods within an MCDM framework can enhance transparency and reliability in high-investment public transport procurement decisions and support strategic planning for low-carbon urban mobility.