In a significant move towards sustainable urban transportation, state-owned utility Stadtwerke München (SWM) has placed an order for 71 new electric buses for the Munich Transport Company (MVG). The order, initially announced by Dutch manufacturer Ebusco for 28 electric buses, will now include an additional 30 articulated electric buses from Daimler Buses and 14 solo electric buses from MAN, bringing the total to 71 vehicles.
The investment in this eco-friendly fleet will amount to nearly 54 million euros, with deliveries scheduled from spring 2024 to spring 2025. The move towards electrification is supported by financial subsidies from both the federal government and the state of Bavaria, which will help offset the higher costs associated with electric buses compared to conventional diesel-powered ones. The funding was secured following a notice from the Federal Ministry of Transport in April 2022, reinforcing the commitment to sustainable public transportation in the region.
“We already have a fleet of 132 buses, including the ones currently in operation and those expected to arrive this year. This substantial order brings us one step closer to achieving our ambitious goal of exclusively utilizing electric buses by 2035,” stated MVG CEO Ingo Wortmann.
Stadtwerke München and MVG have already embraced electrification, with 28 Ebusco electric buses already in their fleet, including 26 Ebusco 2.2 articulated buses and two Ebusco 3.0 solo buses. In addition, the municipal utility previously ordered 21 articulated electric buses from MAN in August 2022, while Mercedes eCitaro G vehicles have been serving Munich’s streets since 2021. This wealth of experience positions MVG to seamlessly integrate the new electric models from Daimler Buses, Ebusco, and MAN into their operations.
The newly acquired electric buses will be stationed at the depot located in the Moosach district, which was inaugurated in November 2022 by SWM and MVG. The depot has been designed to accommodate up to 170 electric buses, further emphasizing the city’s commitment to building a robust charging infrastructure for its expanding eco-friendly fleet.
This forward-looking initiative by Stadtwerke München and MVG marks a vital step in reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable urban mobility. With these modern electric buses set to hit the streets, Munich is making remarkable progress towards achieving its green transportation objectives and becoming a role model for other cities worldwide.
