100 electric buses now on roads across Hamburg

24 November 2021

Hochbahn puts its hundredth e-bus into operation - entire fleet to be converted by end of decade

Hochbahn put its hundredth electric bus into operation in November. The company's e-buses reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 75 per cent over diesel buses, even when the entire production chain and operation are considered. Around 4,500 tonnes of CO2 have already been saved since the lauch of the electric bus fleet in January 2019,

Conversion of entire fleet

"The first three years have shown that our vehicles are ready for series production," said Henrik Falk, CEO of Hochbahn. The range of e-buses is now up to 260 kilometres and Hochbahn now plans to convert the entire fleet of currently 1,100 buses to zero-emission drives by 2029/2030. That would reduce CO2 emissions by 65,000 tonnes annually. "We are absolutely on schedule," said Falk. The zero-emission fleet will grow to 430 buses over the next four years. Increasing battery power will also eliminate the need to equip the e-buses with additional, oil-powered heating systems, Falk noted.

E-buses contributing to Hamburg's climate plan

Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport, welcomed Hochbahn's plans. The e-buses will help achieve the mobility transition as foreseen by the senate's climate goals. "They offer passengers more comfortable travel and are another incentive for using public transport to reach a destination quickly, comfortably and in climate-friendlier and quieter way." The Hanseatic city's climate plan seeks to slash CO2 emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 and to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050.

Hochbahn striving for climate neutrality

Apart from reducing CO2 emissions, Hochbahn is also striving for climate neutral buses and is taking the battery manufacturers in particular to task. The goal is a "green battery" as well as a transparent supply and production chain. "We know that this is a very ambitious goal," said Markus Dietmannsberger, Project Manager at Hochbahn. "At the same time, manufacturers and suppliers are become more aware that climate-neutrality and fair production will no longer be an attractive add-on in future, but will become standard."

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