40 electric buses headed for Munich

Munich’s utility Stadtwerke München (SWM) announced to procure 40 electric buses for the city’s transit operator MVG. An order has been placed with Ebusco, a Dutch company specialising in electric buses and the first six are to arrive next year.

While the Oktoberfest is still well underway, Munich is thinking ahead with a rather large fleet of electric buses to come. For now, the Stadtwerke have ordered four smaller electric buses (12 m) from Ebusco and another two articulated models measuring 18 metres. They are expected to take up service in Munich in the second half of 2019.

Once the electric buses have proven their value, the utility may take the option included in the contract. Ebusco could then deliver another 16 solo buses and 8 bendy buses on top so that MVG could operate a fleet of 40 electric vehicles soon.

The solo electric buses have a 124 kW motor and 362 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) said to enable a range of up to 280 kilometres. Recharging at 75 kW takes about four hours says Ebusco so we suspect the buses will be charged at the depot overnight.

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