Germany now operates the first fully electric bus running the long distance. Starting this Thursday, FlixBus serves four times a day between Frankfurt and Mannheim and has special stops at the Frankfurt Airport and Heidelberg.
Previously, FlixBus also introduced electric buses between Paris and Amiens as a regular service, but this is the first time the company offers zero emission travel in Germany. The electric bus, called BYD C9, can go up to 320 miles and can transport up to 40 sitting passengers.
The bus needs to charge twice a day and at the depot overnight. The devices are equipped with two charging points each and, thanks to a cooperation with Greenpeace Energy, supply electricity from renewables at 40 kW.
FlixBus is a start-up from Munich that mainly serves as mobility provider. They outsource the operation of the routes mostly. Their all-electric train network called FlixTrain includes routes between Hamburg and Cologne as well as Berlin and Stuttgart. The trains will use energy from renewables as provided by Greenpeace exclusively next year.