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Osnabrück: 94% electric buses - Germany's pioneer in electromobility!
Osnabrück leads Germany with a 94% e-bus rate. New electric buses reduce CO2, increase safety and promote environmental protection.
Osnabrück: 94% electric buses - Germany's pioneer in electromobility!
The poor air quality and the constantly increasing traffic volume in cities represent a major challenge for the future. The city of Osnabrück is moving forward boldly and can boast of an outstanding achievement: 94 percent of its bus fleet is now electric. Specifically, this means that out of 86 buses, 81 are operated purely electrically. This means that Osnabrück has the highest e-bus quota in Germany NDR reports.
The Osnabrück public utilities and the city have been working diligently on this project since 2019 and recently put 19 new electric buses into operation. This measure not only helps to improve air quality, but also saves around 3,000 tons of CO2 every year. A real win for the environment!
High costs, high savings
As with many technological innovations, the e-buses are more expensive to purchase - the cost difference to conventional diesel buses is up to 200,000 euros per vehicle - but the investment is worth it. The costs are paid off after about eight years. In addition, 55 percent of the expenses for the new e-buses were covered by funding, which shows that political support is also essential here, as PwC Germany notes on the topic.
The demand for environmentally friendly and quiet e-buses is constantly increasing. Other cities in Lower Saxony, such as Hanover and Braunschweig, have also achieved various e-bus quotas, but these are on a completely different scale: Hanover has 30 percent, Braunschweig only 16 percent. This shows that Osnabrück is really a pioneer in this area.
The infrastructure in focus
In order to advance these ambitious plans, the e-bus fleet is connected to a well-developed charging infrastructure network. There are currently almost 17,000 charging points in Lower Saxony, most of which can be found in the Hanover region, Wolfsburg and the Emsland district. According to that VDV E-buses should also be operated with renewable electricity to ensure climate-neutral mobility.
However, the switch to e-buses also brings with it challenges, such as the necessary conversions and new construction of depots or the infrastructure required for this. This requires both financial and organizational expenditure, and there is already speculation in the industry that demand for electric buses will increase in the near future.
Fare adjustments and outlook
But not everything is untroubled. From January 2026, passengers in Osnabrück must expect a price increase of almost five percent. This increase serves to compensate for costs in the public transport sector. One more reason to increasingly promote the switch to environmentally friendly means of transport.
The city of Osnabrück has set itself the big goal of driving 100 percent electrically in the future. And with the numbers and developments behind us, it looks like this goal will not remain unattainable. This means that the urban environment will also benefit from cleaner and quieter mobility.
Osnabrück shows how a clever traffic revolution can not only reduce noise and air pollution, but also increase traffic safety. A good hand for the future!