The German government is providing financial support for 250 electric buses in 2018 and double that number from 2019. The funding is part of a new Factor 100 initiative, which maintains that a single allelectric bus can benefit the environment as much as 100 pure electric cars.
It will provide €50million (£44.75million) for electric bus purchases next year, rising to €100million the year after. From next January, the Federal Environment Ministry will refund 80% of the additional cost of electric buses instead of the 40% paid since 2015. It already reimburses charging infrastructure costs for up to five buses per operator.
Sales of electric buses in Germany have been slower than in many other countries, with projects focused on Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. The government has so far funded about 100 vehicles.
■ The 91 MAN and Mercedes-Benz gas buses in the southern city of Augsburg have been converted to run on biogas produced entirely from local biomass residues.
