German government awards funding for 472 e-buses in Hamburg

The Federal Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport, Volker Wissing, announced funding of approximately €160 million for the electrification of local public transport in Hamburg and finance 472 new battery-electric buses.

Hamburger Hochbahn AG and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) receive the first round of funding, the first awarded to public transport companies to promote alternative drive systems for buses.

Hamburger Hochbahn AG set the goal of converting its entire bus fleet, currently around 1,000 vehicles, to alternative drives by 2030. The company will receive approximately €97 million for 289 electric buses and 486 charging infrastructure units.

The BMDV has already supported Hochbahn with €12 million to purchase 60 electric buses and 20 charging infrastructure units and €6.4 million for the new construction of a Gleisdreieck depot.

VHH plans also to convert its entire fleet, around 670 vehicles to electric drives by 2030. VHH’s Elexity2022 project is being funded with around €59 million to purchase 183 electric buses and 216 charging infrastructure units.

So far, VHH has received €15 million to acquire 64 battery-electric buses and €1.8 million to upgrade their Bergedorf depot.

“Four hundred and seventy-two more buses in Hamburg city will be electric in future, we’re investing around €160 million. After all, climate protection begins on the doorstep when you get on public transport,” says Federal Minister Dr Volker Wissing. “We need climate-neutral mobility for people. We can only achieve this by using electric vehicles to reduce emissions sustainably and permanently in transport. Buses have an enormously high mileage in our inner cities, which is where we are targeting our initiatives. Our support will help to electrify up to 40%of Hamburg’s city bus fleet in the coming years.”