Stuttgart’s SSB launches depot with 28 charging points for battery-electric buses

Stuttgart transport operator SSB has put in operation the charging infrastructure at its Stuttgart‑Möhringen bus depot. The facility features 28 charging points capable of supplying up to 180 kW each, allowing simultaneous overnight charging of 28 electric buses. Additional buses can be charged during the day.

The installation, carried out by Daimler Buses as general contractor, was completed in cooperation with Daimler Buses Solutions GmbH and partners Omexom and Power Electronics. The project received a grant of approximately €13 million from the state of Baden-Württemberg under the German State Municipal Transport Financing Act (LGVFG), Daimler Truck states in a press note.

SSB put e-bus chargers in operation

The depot currently accommodates ten Mercedes eCitaro G articulated battery-electric buses and ten eCitaro G fuel cell buses, delivered in April, all equipped with the latest NMC3 battery technology. An additional 43 vehicles—including eCitaro, eCitaro G, and eCitaro G fuel cell buses, some with NMC4 batteries—are scheduled for delivery by October 2026.

Buses charge using integrated pantographs in a “panto down” configuration. Charging voltage reaches up to 720 volts, with power levels of up to 180 kW, depending on battery state, the manufacturer says. The articulated battery-electric buses carry seven high-voltage battery packs totaling 686 kWh, while the fuel cell variants carry four packs totaling 392 kWh and six hydrogen tanks with 30 kg H₂ capacity, allowing a range of up to 200 km. Load management software optimizes energy distribution and vehicle readiness.

Daimler Buses provided a complete turnkey solution including steelwork, full electrical installation, and the Sinos charging management system (Daimler Buses took over 49% of charging management company in April). A three-year service and maintenance contract covers 24/7 support, spare parts, and annual safety checks in accordance with DGUV regulations. A second charging installation at the Stuttgart-Gaisburg depot is under construction, with 37 charging points planned, including 33 for inverted pntograph charging and 4 CCS2 plug-in points. Once completed, SSB will have the capacity to charge 65 buses overnight.

Daimler Buses’ CEOTill Oberwörder says: “The construction of the charging infrastructure for SSB in the immediate vicinity of our company headquarters here in Stuttgart-Möhringen is something special for us. With our complete package of charging points, electric buses and services, we are supporting SSB in advancing the electrification of local public transport in our metropolitan region, and thus becoming a role model for public transport operators in many other cities.”

Thomas Moser, Chair of the Board and Technical Board, SSB, comments: “The state capital of Stuttgart has set itself the goal of using emission-reduced electric buses on all city centre scheduled service bus lines by 2027. For SSB, the switch to locally CO2‑free buses is the biggest transformation in nearly a hundred years of scheduled bus services in Stuttgart. What we can jointly achieve by replacing around 80 diesel buses through procurement of new electric buses, including charging infrastructure, in terms of advantages and the favourable image of future-oriented ‘green’ public transport sends out a clear signal.”