New developments are on the horizon for the Hochbahn fleet, Hamburg’s public transport operator: after embarking on the electrification of its vehicle fleet in recent years — with 350 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro buses scheduled for delivery by December 2030 — the company has announced that it will purchase an additional 240 electric buses by 2031.

Currently, 432 electric vehicles are already in service, representing around 39% of the entire fleet. In addition, from January 2026, the internal combustion engine vehicles will be progressively converted to the use of HVO fuels (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), with the aim of significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

Robert Henrich, CEO of Hochbahn, stated: “Our direction remains clear: we continue to consistently advance the electrification of our bus fleet. At the same time, we have the responsibility to ensure that public transport remains stable, flexible, and reliable even in exceptional situations“.

Highlights

The bus industry’s smartphone moment

On 18 March 1895, at 6:25 in the morning, the world’s first motor bus line opened between Siegen, Netphen and Deuz. The vehicle was a Benz Landauer. It had eight seats, a one-cylinder engine of five horsepower, and fifteen kilometres of bad road ahead of it. On the steepest hill, the passengers had ...

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