Not only does it look good – Vestische’s new e-bus is a pioneer in electric mobility. From April it will be operating on the 262 and 261 lines in Bottrop, making a sustainable contribution in InnovationCity to the reduction of local exhaust emissions during morning peak traffic. Electric buses drive emission-free and quietly.
With its blue-white design, the e-bus differs greatly from Vestische’s standard vehicles externally as well. Inside it provides room for a total of 76 passengers. The noise level is very low and there are no perceptible engine vibrations. In addition, neither acceleration nor braking causes any tremors. Produced by the manufacturer VDL Bus & Coach in Belgium, the vehicle has a 127 kW capacity. Depending on the use of heating, air-conditioning and ventilation, a battery charge is sufficient for approx. 60 to 70 km. Then the bus must be refuelled with energy again at a charging station, which is stored in a battery system.
Without public funding, entry into electric mobility would not be financeable for Vestische. The purchase price of the e-bus including the mobile charging station amounts to around €533,000. Compared to buying a standard service bus, the additional costs total around €322,000. The ongoing project “E-Bus in Bottrop” will therefore be funded under the Local Electric Mobility (“Elektromobilität vor Ort”) funding guideline with €129,000 in total through the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). The implementation of the funding guideline will be coordinated by NOW GmbH.
For the rest of the added costs, the city of Bottrop is on board. The city council is subsidizing the purchase of the electric bus in the amount of around €193,000.