The Offenbacher Verkehrs-Betriebe (OVB) will take 17 more electric buses into regular service from May 3rd. These complement the seven e-buses that have been in use since the timetable change at the end of 2020. The new buses will go into service on routes 104, 105, 106, 107 and 108 over the next few weeks.
The 17 newcomers are part of an order from summer 2020. At that time, Offenbacher Verkehrs-Betriebe ordered 20 standard and nine articulated buses from Solaris – each with pantographs. While the first 17 units are now going into operation (although a message from the Offenbach public utility that was sent to us by e-mail does not differentiate between solo and articulated buses), the remaining twelve buses should arrive in the city on the Main by the end of the year. The battery-electric powered fleet will increase again from 24 to 36 vehicles in the course of the year. That corresponds to more than 40 percent of all 87 city buses of the transport company.
If the budget is tight, this e-bus offensive is made possible, according to the communication, “thanks to the considerable funding from the federal and state governments”. The state of Hesse funded 40 percent of the additional costs for the first seven buses and the charging infrastructure with a total of 5.2 million euros. The federal government has now subsidized the 29 e-buses with eight million euros.
All 36 e-buses are Solaris vehicles. The twelve-meter-long Urbino E12 solo buses have three doors, 33 seats and 45 standing places as well as a 316 kWh battery pack for a range of around 220 kilometers. The 18-meter-long articulated buses have four doors, 45 seats and 53 standing places as well as a 379 kWh battery pack for ranges of around 190 kilometers.
The buses are to be supplied with energy mainly overnight in the depot at Hebestraße 14. The pantograph rises from the bus roof and makes contact with a loading hood hanging from the ceiling. During the day, intermediate charging is also planned at turning systems equipped with charging points at the Kaiserlei, later charging devices will also be used for intermediate charging in the residential area of An den Eichen. “This leaves safety reserves in the range so that a charge can also be suspended from time to time,” it says.
The maintenance of all e-buses takes place in the OVB workshop within the framework of a director’s workshop contract with the manufacturer. A special workplace with a roof work stand and a mobile work platform are planned on site to access the batteries and pantographs on the roof.
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OVB is accompanying the introduction of the 17 new e-buses with a large-scale image campaign. This ranges from stickers on the vehicles to poster advertising and advertisements in the media to flyers and information at the stops. The company is also setting up an interactive website with 3D technology and changing hands-on activities.
The development of the public transport offer in Offenbach is largely coordinated in the mobility business area of Stadtwerke Offenbach. This business area includes the companies NiO – Nahverkehr in Offenbach GmbH, OVB Offenbacher Verkehrs-Betriebe GmbH and MMO Main Mobil Offenbach GmbH as well as the Electromobility Office – Project Control Center for Federal Projects, which is located directly at Stadtwerke Offenbach Holding. Offenbach is already known for projects such as electric car and bike sharing with six e-car rental stations across the city.
offenbach.de
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