Decentralised charging not only extends the range of electric buses, it also lightens the load placed on the electricity grid. And operators of public transport and electricity networks like Stadtwerke Münster know this better than anyone. Stadtwerke Münster has set up 16 charging points with charging capacities of 220 to 350 kW at end-of-line stops in the bus route network across the Münster metropolitan area. These are used for intermediate charging of the electric buses during scheduled services.

The 40 eCitaro articulated buses and six eCitaro solo buses in the fleet are all equipped with roof-mounted pantographs. Despite the fact that each bus has only five battery packs with a maximum capacity of 490 kWh, they achieve enormous ranges of up to 350 kilometres per day. Using fewer battery packs results in greater passenger capacity and also helps to reduce energy consumption. “Speaking as both a public transport and electricity network operator, we are very happy with our decision to opt for opportunity charging”, says Florian Adler, Press Spokesperson. In Münster, they are not only very satisfied with the charging strategy, they are also thrilled with the eCitaro itself. They therefore plan to put a further 24 eCitaro G buses with pantographs into service by the end of 2025.