New Simulation Tool Simplifies the Planning of Electric Bus Fleets

August 18th 2026 | The transition to electric bus fleets presents transit agencies with complex planning challenges. WeBus, a web-based simulation tool, is now available to address these challenges. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) developed it in collaboration with the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and the Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI) as part of the E-Bus 2030+ research project. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport with 1,259,660 euros under the Electric Mobility Funding Guidelines. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by the Project Management Agency Jülich (PtJ).

This freely available open-source tool helps transit agencies, municipalities, and other interested parties simulate various electrification scenarios realistically and make informed planning decisions. Among other things, users can compare different battery capacities, charging concepts, and the expansion of charging infrastructure at depots and terminal stops. WeBus transparently shows how these decisions impact vehicle demand, energy consumption, and costs.

A particular advantage: WeBus does not view vehicles, charging infrastructure, and operations in isolation, but rather as an integrated system. This makes interactions visible at an early stage.

With WeBus, the results of the E-Bus 2030+ research project become permanently available to the industry. The tool particularly helps small and medium-sized transit companies plan the transition to electric bus fleets more efficiently, transparently, and cost-effectively.