Stadtwerke Bayreuth's Electric Bus Transition Faces Setbacks, Shifts Focus
The Stadtwerke Bayreuth's plans to convert their bus fleet to electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles have faced several setbacks due to funding issues and changes in feasibility. Initially, the project aimed to use hydrogen as the primary fuel due to the low ranges of electric buses in Bayreuth's winter conditions. A feasibility study supported this approach, and plans were made to build an electrolyser and hydrogen filling station on the bus depot site, using locally generated green electricity and waste heat. The project received a funding promise of €7 million from Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger. However, the federal government later put its funding programme on hold due to tight budgets, further delaying the project. Meanwhile, the Stadtwerke continued to operate their fleet, which is currently around 80 percent biogas buses. In 2023, the Stadtwerke faced delays due to a lack of federal funding, causing interested parties to withdraw. However, improved ranges of modern electric buses led the Stadtwerke to reassess the situation. They found that hydrogen is no longer economically competitive and shifted their goal to running city buses electrically rather than with hydrogen fuel. The focus is now on deploying electric buses for the mobility transition. Despite these challenges, the Stadtwerke remain committed to the goal of making the city's buses locally emission-free. They are now focusing on deploying electric buses as the most viable option for the mobility transition.
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