But not fully electric by 2030: Berlin cancels its e-bus ambitions

Even after 2030, the bus fleet of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) will not be completely emission-free: According to the Senate Transport Administration, the conversion to electric buses, which was actually planned by then, cannot be achieved. The main reason for this is the delay in the construction of new, e-bus-friendly depots, for which the BVG is responsible.

This is the result of a question from the left-wing parliamentary group in the main committee of the House of Representatives, as reported by the Tagesspiegel. According to the report, the timetable for the construction of new depots shows "significant delays". The conversion of the existing depots has also been completely halted until progress is made on the new building.

Too few staff

The reason given for this is "limited personnel capacity". There have been problems with the conversion to e-buses for some time, including the necessary construction of additional depots.

Last summer, the Senate Department for Transport had already slashed the planned funds for the procurement of electric buses – Instead of 33.1 million euros, only around 8 million euros were to be made available for the purchase of the buses in the 2024 budget.

There are currently 251 electric buses on the road in Berlin, with a total of 1550 buses in the fleet. Hamburg has now overtaken the German capital, with 279 electric buses already on the road.

Whether there will be even more electric buses in Berlin is also largely dependent on the completion of a new depot in Berlin-Köpenick, which could "increase the Berlin e-bus fleet to over 500 e-buses", the BVG told the Tagesspiegel. It is therefore "expected to be completed in 2027". By contrast, the BVG has already given no completion dates for the planned depots on Rummelsburger Landstraße and Säntisstraße in Mariendorf.

(nen)