24 new eCitaros for the Swiss canton of Freiburg

The Freiburg Transportation Company (TPF) in Switzerland has added the first of its 24 ordered electric buses to its fleet. These are two different versions of the eCitaro from Daimler Buses.

Image: TPF | Upperview Productions and Jessica Genoud

The TPF in Switzerland’s canton of Fribourg, also known by its French name Fribourg, ordered the 24 electric buses almost two years ago. This was following a tender process in which TPF committed to purchasing at least 35 and at most 183 eCitaro vehicles from manufacturer Daimler Buses over the next five years. The 24 units now being delivered are therefore just the beginning. It is already confirmed that another batch of 35 electric buses from Daimler Buses will be taken in December 2027.

The electric vehicles now delivered by Daimler Buses Schweiz AG consist of six 12-meter-long single-decker buses and 18 18-meter-long articulated buses. They are designed for both urban and regional transportation and are set to be gradually integrated into regular routes starting with the schedule change in December 2026.

All eCitaro units are equipped with retractable pantographs that can charge at up to 300 kW at selected terminal stations and depots. Slower charging, typically during the night, is carried out through charging plugs at the depots, with TPF stating a maximum charging capacity of 150 kW in this case.

It is not yet known exactly where the new electric buses will be deployed in the TPF network

The date has not been determined yet. At the beginning of 2027, TPF will put eight battery-powered trolleybuses of the HESS LighTram type into service, followed by six more vehicles of the same type by the end of the year. They will replace the 12 old HESS BGT-N2 C-trolleybuses that are still in use but have reached the end of their service life.