On the path to net-zero, DB relies on further electrification and the use of alternative drives in its decarbonization strategy — including on the road. Modern electric buses are now being deployed at more and more locations across Germany.
Electric buses on frankfurt’s route network
In Frankfurt am Main, DB operates new electric buses and simultaneously provides the necessary charging infrastructure. Together with DB Energie, DB Regio has built a new bus depot in the Höchst Industrial Park. There, the e-buses can be charged with renewable energy.
The new vehicles operate on behalf of the municipal transport company traffiQ in western Frankfurt. With a range of around 200 kilometers, the buses do not need to recharge during their daily route; charging takes place overnight after service hours. In the future, a solar energy system on the depot's roof will provide some of the renewable power required for charging.
Electric buses in Schleswig-Holstein
In Schleswig-Holstein, the first electric low-floor buses are in service with DB subsidiary Autokraft. The low-floor buses have gradually been deployed since February 2023 and operate in Bad Segeberg, St. Peter Ording, Heide/Meldorf, and Eutin. These accessible buses offer additional benefits: USB ports at all seats, designated spaces for passengers with limited mobility, large special use areas for wheelchair users, strollers and bicycles, and illuminated stop request buttons with Braille. The climate-friendly buses are funded with public federal resources.
Electric operation in Bavaria
In Berchtesgaden, DB runs electric buses on the Kehlstein Line. The vehicles from DB subsidiary Regionalverkehr Oberbayern (RVO) handle a height difference of around 700 meters to reach the terminus at over 1,800 meters. The buses are particularly energy-efficient as they recover energy while braking and descending, recharging their batteries in the process.
RVO operates the bus fleet on behalf of the inter-municipalassociation Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden. At the depot in Bischofswiesen, RVO and DB Energie have installed the necessary charging infrastructure, including a transformer station.
Additional electric buses also operate in Bad Tölz and Oberstdorf in the Allgäu. DB Energie, for example, has installed charging stations in Bad Tölz. By deploying these new buses, DB gains experience in e-mobility for future tenders.
Green local transport in Bocholt
DB Regio Bus North Rhine-Westphalia operates a fully electric bus in regional city transport together with Stadtbus Bocholt. The EBUSCO bus runs entirely on renewable energy and can cover around 220 kilometers without recharging. The batteries are charged overnight. A heat pump ensures comfortable temperatures inside the bus year-round.
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