Potsdam is issuing a new tender for 23 electric buses
ViP Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam has reopened the bidding process for 23 battery-electric buses. This move follows the cancellation of the original contract with Ebusco. The federal funding already allocated, amounting to 4.672 million euros, will remain in place.
ViP is reopening bidding for ten single-decker buses and 13 articulated buses.
Image: Verkehrsbetriebe Potsdam
Ten single-decker buses and 13 articulated buses are being sought. The re-bidding was necessary after the transportation company terminated its existing supply contract with Ebusco on July 31.
At the end of 2023, ViP ordered ten twelve-meter-long and 13 articulated buses of the Ebusco 3.0 type. The first vehicles were originally supposed to be delivered starting in spring 2025. In reality, none of the 23 buses were handed over. After several delays, Ebusco finally indicated that delivery might not occur until spring 2027. Since ViP still saw no reliable delivery date, the transit company terminated the contract.
The new tender is largely based on the specifications from 2023. Two main changes were made: the maximum allowable vehicle height is now 3.60 meters, and ViP prefers wired charging over pantograph charging in the future. According to the company, these changes aim to increase the number of potential bids.
ViP Secures Funding for New Tender
The initial procurement required a total investment of 17.4 million euros. Of this amount, the then Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport allocated 4.672 million euros in funding. These funds will remain available. VIP now has the corresponding amendment order from the funding provider.
The condition is that the new electric buses be delivered by the end of 2028. This keeps the procurement timeline ambitious, as not only the vehicles themselves but also the charging infrastructure need to be adapted.
Es has been a shift in direction regarding charging technology compared to the original plan. For the depot in Potsdam, an overhead system with pantographs was previously planned. In the new tender, ViP now favors wired charging. The transportation authority cites opening the tender to a wider range of manufacturers as the reason for this change.
The delays in acquiring vehicles are part of a larger issue within Potsdam’s electric bus project. The renovation of the depot has also been delayed recently. There, the existing storage facilities are set to be replaced and upgraded to accommodate electric buses.
Despite the setbacks, ViP remains committed to electrifying its bus fleet. The transportation company notes that already today more than two thirds of passengers in Potsdam travel by electric vehicles. So far, this is mainly done with trams, but the new electric buses are intended to further increase this proportion.
