Patrick Schnieder, Federal Minister of Transport: “Modern buses are the backbone of public transport, especially in rural areas. That is why the federal government is supporting the transport companies in modernising their fleets and switching to environmentally-friendly drive systems. I am pleased that through our funding in the Dahme-Spreewald district, 16 new e-buses from RVS GmbH are coming onto the roads – an important step towards a modern and even more climate-friendly local public transport for all.”
RVS Managing Director Siegfried Richter: “The new buses will primarily be used in the north of the district. Passengers can look forward to more interior space, increasing comfort for pupils as well as for passengers with restricted mobility. This brings modern, environmentally-friendly, quiet and emission-free mobility to our region.”
District administrator Sven Herzberger spoke of great strides towards increased sustainability and more environmentally-friendly mobility: “The district is supporting the CO2 reduction of the vehicle fleet with funding of around 4.4 million euros – despite a tight budget. It is important to us.”
The 12-metre-long electric buses offer seats and standing room for up to 71 people and are emission-free, quiet and energy efficient. The solo buses have a guaranteed minimum range of 300 kilometres and an average charging time of 2 hours. With a battery capacity of 400 kW, the bus relies on innovative technologies, including cameras which replace the conventional exterior mirrors and provide the driver with the best overview on interior screens.
The entire project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) under the ‘Guideline on the promotion of alternative drive systems for buses in passenger transport’ with a total of 5.692 million euros. Funding for this measure is also provided as part of the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facilities (ARF) in the NextGenerationEU program. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
The total investment for buses and charging infrastructure amount to around 11 million euros.
Photo (l-r): Siegfried Richter (Managing Director, RVS), Bettina Lauer (BMV), Sven Herzberger (District administrator, Dahme-Spreewald), Heike Zettwitz (1st Deputy Mayor, Dahme-Spreewald)
