With EU funding

Austria’s largest e-bus fleet picks up speed

Leonard Lechner (Project Manager Decarbonization, VVV), Bernhard Speckle (Transport Dispatcher, Postbus AG), Tim Joris Kasier (Representation of the European Commission in Austria), Christian Hillbrand (Managing Director VVV) and Mathias Schönherr (Transport Manager Postbus AG).

(Bild: Vertretung der Europäischen Kommission/Stiplovsek)

Four years ago, the first four e-buses were put into service in Vorarlberg. There are now 16 such vehicles on the road. However, the expansion of the e-fleet is not yet complete: By the end of 2025, 130 buses with environmentally friendly drive systems will be rolling through the province. Vorarlberg would then have the largest e-bus fleet in Austria. 

Tim Joris Kaiser, an expert from the EU Commission Representation in Austria, visited Feldkirch on Monday to take a closer look at the lighthouse project. The expansion of the e-bus fleet is being implemented via the VERDE project (Vorarlberg e-buses for regional decarbonization), which is also being supported with EU funds (NextGenerationEU).

"The NextGenerationEU funding specifically supports initiatives that drive forward the green transition. The e-buses in Vorarlberg are a flagship project in this area," explained Tim Joris Kaiser. 

Daniel Zadra sees many advantages in switching to e-motors - including improved air quality.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

The vehicles have been well received by drivers and passengers, confirmed Daniel Zadra (Greens), State Councillor for Mobility. In the first five years of operation alone, the 130 e-buses would cover around 41.6 million kilometers, saving around 16.2 million liters of diesel and 36,600 tons of CO2. It would take a forest the size of the municipality of Rankweil with more than 3,000 mature beech trees to bind this large amount of CO2.

The fleet in Vorarlberg currently comprises a total of 372 buses. The switch to e-mobility also plays a role in reducing emissions in the air quality improvement areas - for example in Lustenau. "The improvement in air quality contributes to a much better quality of life for many people," said Zadra.

Project not feasible without funding
The conversion is a major challenge for the companies involved in public transport. The costs would be almost impossible to manage without subsidies. Vorarlberg has already received three funding commitments for the procurement of up to 130 e-buses, including the associated charging infrastructure, amounting to 49 million euros by the end of 2025.