German operator MVG deploys 20 eCitaro buses in Lüdenscheid, with five more due in 2026

Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft, the public transport operator serving the Märkischer Kreis district in western Germany, has presented 20 Mercedes eCitaro electric buses at its Lüdenscheid depot, with five more units scheduled for delivery later in 2026. The news is reported on trade agency electrive.

The deployment concerns a regional operator headquartered in Lüdenscheid, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, responsible for local bus services across municipalities including Lüdenscheid and Iserlohn. Two of the vehicles have already been in trial operation since November, while the remaining units are now being prepared for entry into scheduled service over the coming weeks.

Credit picture: Manthey – MVG

20 Mercedes eCitaro buses enter service in Märkischer Kreis

The newly introduced vehicles are standard-length Mercedes-Benz eCitaro buses. All 20 units are planned to be integrated into regular operations within the Märkischer Kreis network. A second batch of five vehicles is expected in the second half of the year, bringing the current procurement programme to 25 units.

Charging infrastructure has been deployed at both operating depots. At the Lüdenscheid site, 21 charging points are currently available. At the Iserlohn depot, 22 charging points are expected to be completed by the end of March, according to electrive.

The charging strategy is based on overnight depot charging. With the current configuration, the operator states that between 80 and 90 percent of its scheduled duty cycles can be operated with the electric fleet.

Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft manages a network comprising approximately 131 routes and 2,300 stops across the Märkischer Kreis area.

The procurement of the electric buses is supported by total funding of 9.26 million euros. The German Federal Ministry of Transport contributes 5.1 million euros toward the acquisition of the 25 vehicles, while additional funding is provided by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Zweckverband Mobilität Ruhr-Lippe.

In addition to the secured funding, the operator has applied for approximately 5 million euros to support further infrastructure development at the Iserlohn depot, associated building works, and the procurement of three additional articulated electric buses.