The changeover to battery drive is progressing for the buses of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). Before the end of this year, 25 additional lines are to be served with electrically powered vehicles, and the west and south of Berlin can now also be reached. This was announced by the Senate Transport Administration in response to a request from Deputy Kristian Ronneburg (left). The expansion is made possible by the delivery of 90 additional electric buses from the Dutch manufacturer Ebusco to BVG this year.
So far, the electric buses have only been stationed at the location on Indira-Gandhi-Strasse in Hohenschönhausen. Now, for the first time, 30 vehicles each are to start from the depots in Britz and Cicerostrasse in Wilmersdorf. The depots are currently being converted for this purpose, writes the traffic management. Appropriate charging infrastructure and adapted workshops are also being created at these locations.
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This is made possible by the fact that in the future, e-buses will run on the M11 metro bus line between Dahlem-Dorf and the Schöneweide S-Bahn station. The M19 metro lines from Grunewald via Halensee to Mehringdamm and the M46 between Zoologischer Garten and Britz Süd are also to be served by battery vehicles before the end of this year. The express line X83 from König-Luise-Straße, corner of Clayallee to Lichtenrade will also be changed, it is said.
According to the current plans, the same applies to the 112 from Nikolassee to Marienfelde and the 142 from Leopoldplatz to Ostbahnhof. The following routes will also be changed: 115, 147, 171, 184, 186, 187, 188, 246, 247, 271, 277, 282, 283, 309, 310, 316, 318, and 365.
The Senate administration does not want to rule out that there will also be changes to the timetable. “In order to optimize the use of the electric buses, the conversion of individual routes is planned on some lines.” However, the planned measures are not named in detail.
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BVG has been gradually expanding its electric fleet for years. With the delivery in 2022, the transport company will then have 228 battery vehicles. The next big leap is planned for 2024 and 2025. Then up to 350 electric buses are to be added. In order for this to succeed, however, a massive conversion of the existing depots is necessary. By then, the Indira-Ghandi-Strasse location will have to be completely converted to electric operation with a corresponding expansion of the charging stations on the site.
The Spandau depot should then also be able to house the first electric buses. The core of the plans, however, is the construction of the new south-east depot network in Schöneweide and Köpenick. Only if it stays on schedule can the speedy drive change be successful.
