Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein orders 350 electric buses

Credit: Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH

Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) has announced that it is taking the next decisive step towards becoming an electric bus company, as it has awarded the largest electric bus tender in the company’s history to date.

As part of the tender, VHH will order up to 100 climate friendly electric buses from MAN and a total of 250 vehicles from Daimler Buses. This will more than quadruple the VHH electric bus fleet overall.

VHH has awarded framework agreements to both vehicle manufacturers that regulate the delivery of emission free battery electric buses. The first new vehicles – which includes a total of 143 buses – are scheduled to be delivered in the first half of 2024.

The guaranteed range for the buses, without intermediate or top-up charging, is between 200 and 300km, depending on the model. In addition, the new vehicles have comprehensive safety equipment, such as braking and turning assistance systems as standard.

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Currently, VHH has 86 electric buses, which are mainly used in regular service from the Bergedorf depot in the east and from the Schenefeld depot in the west. Within the next few weeks, 17 more electric buses and 11 e-Sprinters will go into service, increasing the VHH electric bus fleet to a total of 114 vehicles by the second quarter of 2023.

“The VHH is a key driver of the traffic turnaround in the Hamburg metropolitan region. We have a clear vision in mind – in the 2030s we want to be on the road with zero local emissions. In order to achieve this goal, we are now increasing our electric bus fleet in big steps,” said VHH Managing Director Dr. Lorenz Kasch.

In addition to benefitting the environment, all new VHH electric vehicles will also enhance the customer experience. Each vehicle includes comfortable seats and USB charging sockets, as well as wooden floors and an ambient lighting concept that can be used to create different moods in the interior.