Green light for the new electric bus fleet of Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam (ViP): Just before the end of 2023, ViP awarded the contract to deliver 23 electric buses to contractor Ebusco B.V. from the Netherlands. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery for 2025.
The state capital and Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam invested a total of 17.389 million euros for the procurement of the e-bus fleet. The ‘E-mobility with new vehicles in Potsdam’s public transport’ project is funded under the “Guideline on the promotion of alternative bus drives in passenger transport”. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) in the amount of 4.672 million euros. Funding for this measure is also provided for as part of the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (ARF) in the NextGenerationEU programme. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
Potsdam’s Lord Mayor Mike Schubert: “With the electrification of the bus fleet, we are continuing our path to becoming a climate-friendly city. The state capital is making great efforts to continue to expand upon the modern and future-oriented standards with the ultimate aim of climate-neutrality. I will be delighted if we succeed in converting the bus fleet to 100% electrical operation by 2031. ViP has my full support in this.”
ViP currently has over 59 diesel buses. Most of the vehicles that are now being purchased are replacement investments for buses that have reached the end of their service life. A total of ten e-solo buses are being subsidized in the amount of 176,000 euros each, as well as 13 e-articulated buses, each funded in the amount of 224,000 euros.
ViP Managing Directors Bettina Biffi and Uwe Loeschmann: “Ordering 23 electric buses is our targeted action to continue to provide an environmentally-friendly local public transport in Potsdam and to stay at the cutting edge of technological developments. More than two thirds of our passengers already use our electric trams. The challenges are substantial, particularly in terms of the required construction at the depot, and these will now need our full attention.”
Source: ViP Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam GmbH