The INIT seminar on electromobility 2025

Convert the existing depot or build a new one at a different location? Many transport companies are currently facing this dilemma. In Bad Kreuznach, the decision was made to construct a new depot. Uwe Hiltmann, Managing Director of Kommunalverkehr Rhein-Nahe — a transport company founded just two and a half years ago—explained that a zero-emission depot is currently in the planning phase. The situation is different for the transport company Kraftverkehr Saarlouis: they decided to keep the ideal location very close to the main bus station, which is why a conversion of the existing depot proved to be the best option. Operations manager Dirk Joris reported on the considerations that led to this and the decisions that were made – including the decisions about the charging infrastructure.

Markus Reidelstürz, Head of the operations control at co-host Völklinger Verkehrsbetriebe (VVB), provided participants with an overview of VVB’s e-mobility project. VVB has set itself the goal of converting its entire fleet to electromobility by 2031. There are already 13 e-buses on the streets of Völklingen today. The small VVB team has successfully overcome all the challenges relating to funding applications, conversion work during ongoing operations and lack of space. The simulations made with eMOBILEPLAN were an important support for many decisions from the outset, showing, for example, that e-buses can be used on all the blocks with just some minor adjustments. The MOBILEcharge charge management system, which ensures battery-friendly and cost-saving charging processes, has also been deployed, and the MOBILE-DMS depot management system is currently being implemented. It will automatically assign buses to a parking space depending on their state of charge, the length of the next block and workshop appointments, which not only relieves the burden on the responsible staff, but also alleviates the problem of a lack of space.

During the afternoon, participants could observe exactly what Markus Reidelstürz had explained in his presentation at the conference venue: Managing Director Thorsten Gundacker, Markus Reidelstürz and Workshop Manager Michael Renkes showed the participants around the VVB premises, presented the workshop with the new rooftop work stand and demonstrated eMOBILE-PLAN and MOBILEcharge – INIT systems which have already been implemented.

On the second day, the presentation on fire protection by Wolfgang Reitmeier, head of VDV’s (Association of German transport companies) depots and workshops and electromobility department, was very well received. Based on VDV evaluations, he showed that electric buses do not catch fire any more frequently than diesel buses. However, if a fire does break out, it is very likely that further vehicles in a section of the depot would be in danger in a very
short time. It therefore makes sense to limit the number of buses in a particular section. Wolfgang Reitmeier also advises keeping chargers and transformers separate from the buses and making the roofs of parking facilities as light as possible so that heat and smoke can dissipate upwards.

The INIT seminar on electromobility in public transport again demonstrated how valuable practice-based experience sharing is for transport companies. The combination of best-practice reports and specialist presentations provided participants with valuable insights for their own e-mobility projects. The INIT seminar provided concrete solutions to practical challenges, particularly in the areas of depot design, charge management and fire protection. It proved to be an essential forum for transport companies that want to successfully drive forward their e-mobility projects.