Electrification of the bus fleet in Potsdam: ViP transport company implements results from RLI feasibility study

December 6, 2022 | The bus fleet of ViP Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam GmbH (ViP) is going to be 100 percent electric by 2031. This was announced by the state capital Potsdam and ViP on November 28. The RLI developed the underlying feasibility study together with its project partner EMCEL. With this decision, the city and the transport authority are not only following the results of the project group, but are also striving for even more ambitious goals with this rapid full electrification. The transport authority will provide information on the details of the electrification strategy at the Potsdam city council meeting on Dec. 7, 2022.

In the study, RLI examined the alternative propulsion technologies of battery buses, fuel cell buses and hybrid trolleybuses. The study shows options and associated costs for bus fleet electrification. As a result, the use of battery-electric buses was recommended for implementation, as the technology is both ready for series production and the most cost-effective.

“With the planned full electrification by 2031, Verkehrsbetriebe Potsdam is pursuing very ambitious goals and thus exceeding the recommendations of the feasibility study. As the state capital, Potsdam is thus sending an important signal for the urban transport turnaround. We are pleased that we were able to contribute to this development with the analysis of bus operations as well as the recommendations for bus procurement and charging infrastructure development,” says Jakob Gemassmer, who led the project in the research area Mobility with Renewable Energies.

Savings of around 4800 tons of CO2 per year

ViP currently has 60 buses in its fleet (as of October 2022). In the period between 2023 and 2025, a total of 23 diesel buses are to be replaced by newly procured electric buses. This corresponds to a share of e-buses in 2025 of approximately 38 percent. By 2030, 33 more diesel vehicles are to be replaced by e-buses, bringing the share of electrified buses in 2030 to circa 93 percent. The remaining four vehicles will be replaced in 2031. This means that the ViP fleet will consist exclusively of electric buses in 2031. The complete conversion will save approximately 4868 tons of CO2 per year in Potsdam.

From the demand estimate to the optimal concept

As a basis for the electrification strategy, the RLI scientists analyzed the current bus operation, recorded the regular service, and derived and evaluated various charging and refueling technologies. For this purpose, the project team analyzed and reviewed the individual bus routes as well as the question of which charging options are feasible for the electrified bus fleet and to what extent additional propulsion technologies must be used. In addition, the economic and logistical costs were determined. The team then developed the recommendation for switching to alternatively powered buses and a procurement strategy.

Click here to access the livestream of the 34th meeting of the City Council on Dec. 7, 2022.

For more information, see the press release from the City of Potsdam.

Click here for the project page.