BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - More than one in seven city buses in Germany's public transport system operated emission-free last year. According to findings by the consulting firm PwC, the number of buses with alternative drive systems in the country rose by nearly 1,400 to approximately 4,750. Consequently, almost every second new public transport bus in 2023 featured such a drive system. One reason cited for this growth was the resumption of federal funding in the previous year.

According to PwC, 85 percent of these buses utilize battery-electric drives. These are supplemented by several hundred fuel-cell buses and 90 trolleybuses.

The study indicates that the largest concentration of electric buses is found in the greater Hamburg area. The Hochbahn and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) together operate more than 700 such vehicles, PwC reported. Berlin follows in second place with 277 electric buses.

PwC experts anticipate that this growth will continue in the coming years. By 2030, as many as 11,000 e-buses could be in operation nationwide, representing nearly one-third of today's total fleet size.

To achieve this goal, companies remain dependent on public subsidies, the report stated. According to the study, a twelve-meter solo battery bus cost 580,000 euros last year—still nearly twice as much as a comparable diesel bus at 310,000 euros. Additionally, significant investments are required for charging infrastructure and the conversion of depots.

At the end of February, the federal government issued funding approvals totaling more than 400 million euros. The Federal Ministry of Transport announced that this would support the procurement of nearly 1,900 new electric buses. Total funding of approximately 500 million euros is planned again for the current year.

Manufacturers and transport companies cannot afford to slow down the ramp-up of electric fleets. New EU regulations under the so-called Clean Vehicle Directive (CVD) have come into effect this year. Accordingly, nearly one-third of newly procured city buses must be emission-free in the future./maa/DP/zb