Regionalbus Leipzig orders electric buses and depot from Daimler Buses
Regionalbus Leipzig is essentially the municipal transport company for the Leipzig district. Currently, it has a fleet of 160 vehicles including midibuses, solo buses, and articulated buses. Up until now, its fleet has been equipped entirely with diesel vehicles and few full hybrids. But now Regionalbus Leipzig is embarking on a bold electrification initiative – with the long-term goal of converting its entire bus fleet to battery-electric by the early 2040s.
Regionalbus, which operates 80 urban and regional transport lines primarily in the south of Leipzig, has now placed a major order with Daimler Buses. Firstly, Regionalbus Leipzig will receive nine battery-electric eCitaro solo buses with a standard length of twelve meters by the beginning of 2027. In addition, the public transport provider has ecured an option for a further 18 eCitaro solo buses, which could be delivered by mid-2028.
Regarding the new bus depot, Daimler Buses is set to expand Regionalbus Leipzig’s existing diesel bus depot in the south of Leipzig with a separate e-bus depot in preparation for regular public service routes. The plan is to build a brand new covered bus carport open on all four sides with eleven bus lanes. This will feature over 20 e-bus parking spaces and charging points, all protected by a fire wall in the middle. The new e-bus depot will be equipped by Daimler Buses with a package consisting of its own transformer station, battery storage, photovoltaic system, power storage, and charging infrastructure. Daimler Buses Solutions is working together with its partners Ingenieurbüro Schlender, Consass, ABB, and Sinos on this project.
Initially, ten CCS2 charging points are to be installed – unlike Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) as a bus operator in the Leipzig city area, Regionalbus Leipzig is not relying on pantograph chargers in its e-bus depot, but on conventional cable-connected charging stations. The contract also includes an option for 17 additional charging points, so that the additional e-buses would also have their own charging points.
Steffen Germ, CEO of Daimler Buses Solutions GmbH, said: “We listen to the customer and implement the individual charging infrastructure solution for them and with them. So, we are proud that we have also convinced Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH to order a complete tailor‑made solution that will prepare it for bus transport that will be CO2 free.”
Daimler Buses founded its subsidiary Daimler Buses Solutions in mid-2023 with the aim of offering a one-stop shop for bus fleets – covering everything from the individual configuration of an electric bus to the infrastructure for the depot and the charging management system. As part of this, Daimler Buses acquired a 49 percent stake in Regensburg-based Sinos this year, a specialist in fleet software solutions and smart charging management, which is also involved in the Regionalbus Leipzig project.
The federal government and the Free State of Saxony are providing Regionalbus Leipzig with subsidies of around €3.6 million to finance the e-bus depot, electric buses, and services. Regionalbus Leipzig has already applied for further subsidies for the optional expansion to include an additional 17 charging points and 18 eCitaro buses.
This article was first published by Florian Treiß for electrive’s German edition
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