BVG begins expansion of electric bus chargers at terminal stops

Berlin's public transport operator is expanding its electric bus charging infrastructure to include fast chargers at terminal stops. During the first phase of the project, up to 20 such charging stations will be installed throughout the city by the end of 2027 in order to stabilize electric bus operations.

The idea is simple: buses can charge there during regular service and do not have to return to the depot for recharging in between. Most routes can be operated daily without intermediate charging, as the number of battery packs in the buses (and thus their range) is usually tailored to the planned use of the vehicles.

However, if situations arise during operation in which the charge level is lower than planned, the charging stations at the terminal stops can help to recharge sufficient power during downtime. This would eliminate trips to the depot and the charging times there. On longer routes, charging breaks are sometimes planned from the outset – these too can be carried out along the route in the future.

Construction began on October 6 at the Schwarzelfenweg terminus in Pankow, which is scheduled to go into operation in early 2026. According to BVG, work will also begin in the coming days at the Kaulsdorf and Marzahn S-Bahn stations. These are then expected to go into operation “within a few weeks” of the Schwarzelfenweg station, according to the BVG.

During the construction work, one or more charging masts will be erected at the terminal stops. In addition, there will be a small charging house to house the charging technology and a transformer station for connection to the medium-voltage grid. According to a visualization of the planned charging station at the Kaulsdorf terminal stop, the BVG is opting for pantograph charging stations.

“Here you can recharge your batteries between trips. Our electric buses are on the road around the clock, serving passengers throughout the city. The new charging technology provides us with a stable foundation for this,” says Henrik Falk, CEO of BVG.

The Federal Ministry of Transport is funding the STELLA project with €12.1 million. “Electric buses are increasingly becoming a central component of climate-friendly public transport. However, due to the cost differences compared to conventional buses, the switch is a mammoth task for transport companies,” says Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU). “With our funding, we are compensating for this difference and also supporting the development of the associated infrastructure. With the STELLA project, BVG is investing in modern infrastructure that makes charging buses even more suitable for everyday use.”

bvg.de, now-gmbh.de (both in German)

This article was originally published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition