We at Deutsche Bahn are driving forward electric mobility – not only on the rails, but also on the roads. Therefore, we are using modern electric buses at more and more locations in Germany.
Green bus fleet in Frankfurt's route network
In Frankfurt am Main, we are putting new electric buses on the road, while providing the appropriate charging infrastructure. Together with DB Energie GmbH, DB Regio has built a new bus depot for this purpose at Industriepark Höchst. The e-buses can fill up on renewable power at a total of twenty charging points there.
Frankfurt's local public transport company, traffiQ, is operating the new vehicles in the western part of the city. With a range of around 200 kilometers, the buses do not need to recharge on their daily route. This happens at night after the end of service. In the future, a solar energy system on the depot's roof will provide some of the renewable power required for charging.
Electric buses for Schleswig-Holstein
DB subsidiary Autokraft has started operating the first electric low-floor buses in Schleswig-Holstein. The low-floor buses have been operating successively since February 2023 and are in service in Bad Segeberg, St. Peter Ording, Heide/Meldorf and Eutin.The accessible buses offer even more advantages, such as USB ports on all seats, designated seats for people 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 by the BMWK and the BMDV.
A pilot project for replacing diesel
Also at our DB subsidiary Autokraft in Schleswig-Holstein there is operating an bus that has been converted from diesel to electric. The bus was developed with additional partners working on the PilUDE pilot project. The entire engine block was removed and replaced with a new electric drive. The bus will soon be on the streets of Niebüll and will have a range of around 200 to 250 kilometers. It will be recharged with electricity from renewable sources at night. With this conversion technology, we are making local transport greener, while at the same time saving the costs and time associated with acquiring new buses.
Running on electricity in Bavaria
In Berchtesgaden, we travel an environmentally friendly path bringing tourists and locals to record heights. On one particularly challenging bus route, the Kehlstein line, the e-buses operated by DB subsidiary Regionalverkehr Oberbayern (RVO) conquer a difference in elevation of roughly 700 meters to reach the terminus at over 1,800 meters. The buses are highly energy-efficient: when braking and driving downhill, they recover energy and thus recharge their batteries.
RVO operates the bus fleet on behalf of the inter-municipal association Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden. In collaboration with DB Energie GmbH, it has installed the necessary charging infrastructure, including a transformer substation, at the depot in Bischofswiesen.
More electric buses are being operated in Bad Tölz and, in the Allgäu region, in Oberstdorf. By using the new buses, we are gaining experience in electric mobility that will stand us in good stead for future transport contracts.
Green local traffic in Bocholt
DB Regio Bus NRW partnered up with Stadtbus Bocholt GmbH to operate a fully electric bus in regional urban transport. Customers are able to travel quietly and green on this bus. Manufactured by EBUSCO, the vehicle is fueled exclusively with green electricity. This environmentally friendly city bus can drive around 220 kilometers without having to recharge. The batteries are charged up at night. A highly energy-efficient heat pump makes sure the temperature on the bus is pleasant, whether it be summer or winter.
