{"id":541,"date":"2026-07-07T18:09:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T16:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/2026\/07\/07\/berlin-prepares-for-another-270-solaris-electric-buses-with-major-fast-charging-network-expansion\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T18:09:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T16:09:30","slug":"berlin-prepares-for-another-270-solaris-electric-buses-with-major-fast-charging-network-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/2026\/07\/07\/berlin-prepares-for-another-270-solaris-electric-buses-with-major-fast-charging-network-expansion\/","title":{"rendered":"Berlin prepares for another 270 Solaris electric buses with major fast-charging network expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Berlin\u2019s public transport operator BVG is taking the development of the infrastructure needed to support its electric buses to a new level alongside its vehicle procurement programme. In recent days, the company has begun trial operation of the first element of a citywide terminal fast-charging network, which will play a key role in enabling a further 270 articulated electric buses to enter service in Berlin over the next year and a half.<\/strong><\/p>\n

BVG has launched testing of the first new terminal fast charger at the bus terminus of Marzahn S-Bahn station. The facility can be used by electric buses operating on routes X54, 191, 195 and 291, allowing them to charge their batteries during scheduled turnaround times. The system uses a pantograph-based design: the vehicle pulls in beneath the charging mast, after which the current collector on the roof of the bus automatically connects to the charging equipment. The high-power charging system also includes a dedicated transformer substation and charging container.<\/p>\n

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Photo: BVG<\/p><\/div>\n

The Marzahn site is the first completed element of the STELLA project. As part of the programme, similar high-power Siemens fast chargers will be installed at a total of 20 termini across Berlin, with construction currently already under way at six locations. The terminal chargers, however, will not replace overnight depot charging, but will complement it. Electric buses will continue to charge their batteries primarily at the depots, while daytime fast charging will allow them to remain in service for significantly longer without having to return to the garage. This is a major advantage particularly on long routes with high daily mileage, where energy top-ups lasting just a few minutes can be built into the timetable from the outset.<\/p>\n

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Photo: BVG<\/p><\/div>\n

The infrastructure development is directly linked to BVG\u2019s large-scale vehicle procurement programme. Last year, the company ordered a total of 270 new Solaris Urbino 18 electric articulated buses<\/a> under a framework agreement signed in December 2023, allowing for the supply of up to 700 articulated electric buses<\/a>. As the first call-off under the contract, 50 vehicles had already been ordered earlier<\/a>, which Solaris has since delivered, while the flexible arrangement enables BVG to continue expanding its electric bus fleet with further call-offs until 2031.<\/p>\n

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Photo: BVG<\/p><\/div>\n

Of the vehicles ordered last year, the first 70 will arrive in Berlin as early as summer 2026, while delivery of the full batch of 270 units will be completed by the end of 2027. The new articulated buses will each be equipped with Solaris High Energy battery packs with a total capacity of around 700 kWh, which under favourable operating conditions may be sufficient for an entire day\u2019s service using depot charging only. As a result of the fleet expansion, the number of electric buses operated by BVG will rise from the current 277 to nearly 550. This will further strengthen Berlin\u2019s position among Germany\u2019s leading electric bus operators, although even after the expansion Hamburg will still have the country\u2019s largest electric bus fleet, with nearly 800 battery-electric buses already in operation there.<\/p>\n

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Photo: BVG<\/p><\/div>\n

The installation of terminal fast chargers is just one element of BVG\u2019s comprehensive electromobility programme. In parallel with the continuous expansion of its e-bus fleet, the operator is also building new depots specifically designed for the operation of electric buses. One new base is being developed in the Sch\u00f6neweide district of Treptow\u2013K\u00f6penick<\/a>, along K\u00f6penicker Landstra\u00dfe, while the other is being built in the Marienfelde district of Tempelhof\u2013Sch\u00f6neberg<\/a>, in the S\u00e4ntisstra\u00dfe area.<\/p>\n

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The new facilities will feature high-power charging infrastructure, modern maintenance workshops and an operational background tailored to the needs of electric buses. In addition, BVG is gradually upgrading its existing bus garages so that they, too, can support an increasing number of battery-electric buses. The aim of the infrastructure developments is to ensure that the operation of the steadily growing electric fleet can be reliably maintained over the long term in the coming years.<\/p>\n

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According to BVG\u2019s current schedule, by 2027 around one third of its fleet of approximately 1,500 buses will already be electric. The company originally planned to withdraw its diesel buses entirely by 2030, but in recent years it has become clear that converting a fleet of this size is a far more complex task, not only because of vehicle procurement, but also due to the need to build the required charging infrastructure and depots. Accordingly, BVG is currently focusing primarily on the parallel development of its electric bus fleet and the associated infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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Photo: John Boutin<\/p><\/div>\n

The large-scale transition is also being supported by substantial state funding: Germany\u2019s Federal Ministry of Transport is providing a total of \u20ac160 million for BVG\u2019s electric bus programme, covering vehicle procurement, the development of new electric depots and the citywide fast-charging network. The terminal charging infrastructure being implemented under the STELLA project alone is receiving \u20ac12.1 million in federal funding, which the state of Berlin is supplementing with additional resources.<\/p>\n

Cover photo: John Boutin<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Berlin\u2019s public transport operator BVG is taking the development of the infrastructure needed to support its electric buses to a new level alongside its vehicle procurement programme. In recent days, the company has begun trial operation of the first element of a citywide terminal fast-charging network, which will play a key role in enabling a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,6],"tags":[53,408,318,319,418,246,109,65,87],"class_list":["post-541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abroad","category-news","tag-alternative","tag-battery-electric","tag-berlin","tag-bvg","tag-fast-charging","tag-germany","tag-green-transition","tag-infrastructure","tag-solaris"],"acf":{"mbi_related_box_multiple":"","mbi_gallery_enabled":false,"mbi_gallery_manual_order":"Kompakt","mbi_gallery_source":"Ehhez a cikkhez felt\u00f6lt\u00f6tt k\u00e9pek","mbi_gallery_images":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}