VHH goes electric: Every fifth bus runs fully electric

On the way to an emission-free bus fleet: Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) has put its 135th e-bus into operation. This means that around 20% of the VHH fleet can now be operated locally emission-free – or in other words: Nearly one in five VHH buses on the streets of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein is an electric bus. The next fully electric units are already ordered and in delivery.

About 290 e-buses by 2024

VHH’s buses, operated with 100% green electricity, have already covered more than 8 million kilometers. In doing so, they have saved more than 5,000 tons of CO₂ – which roughly corresponds to the annual CO₂ consumption of about 500 people living in Germany.

VHH put its first e-bus into operation back in 2014 – the midibus from the Italian vehicle manufacturer Rampini is still running today on line 488 in the Blankenese staircase district. Since 2020, VHH has been procuring only locally emission-free drive buses for Hamburg. These will gradually replace conventionally operated buses. By 2024, the VHH e-bus fleet will gradually grow to 289 vehicles. In the coming decade, the VHH fleet, which currently comprises 693 buses, will be completely emission-free.

Climate change must be stopped, and in the central area of the transport transition, we, the VHH, are part of the solution. As the third-largest municipal bus operator in Germany, Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH has built up particular expertise in the field of new mobility. VHH is a driver of important future topics such as electromobility and digital mobility. We take action and make visions a reality – always with a healthy dose of pragmatism and regional down-to-earthness. (Managing Director Lorenz Kasch)

And Anjes Tjarks, Hamburg's Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition, adds:

By 2030, we want to be locally emission-free with all buses and trains in Hamburg. With every e-bus, our expertise and competence in this area grow. As a result, we become more efficient and better, for example in the necessary charging infrastructure and IT. This gives us courage and confidence for the next steps.

60 million euros in funding

To convert public transport to electromobility, VHH is receiving 60 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Transport as part of the directive to promote alternative drives for buses in passenger transport. In the largest e-bus tender in the company's history to date, the company signed framework agreements in March with manufacturers MAN Truck & Bus and Daimler Buses for the delivery of a total of 350 e-buses. The first vehicles are to be delivered and put into operation by the end of 2023 and during 2024.

Programmatic Change

The development towards a climate-neutral company signifies a programmatic change for VHH. Innovative vehicles are just one component. It also involves operating specialized workshops, robust IT systems, and the establishment of the necessary charging infrastructure. VHH currently operates 17 bus depots in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, four of which have already been converted to electromobility. Currently, VHH has 183 charging points for e-buses set up across the depots. By the end of 2025, VHH's infrastructure is set to expand to around 300 charging points.