Electric power into the future - e-buses at Postbus
ÖBB-Postbus is the largest bus company in Austria. With this in mind, we are always working towards providing innovative solutions to questions of public mobility. With children making up the largest part of our passengers, we attach particular importance to taking responsibility for future generations. In the interest of climate protection, Postbus is increasingly focusing on alternative drive technologies as a means of contributing to cutting CO₂ emissions in Austria.
Battery powered e-buses have advantages for passenger and the environment
In terms of drive technologies, buses with battery-powered electric motors are a possible alternative to those with diesel engines. Buses using this technology are charged overnight and their current range means that they can be used for scheduled daytime services on a single charge without any issues. When compared to diesel buses, each 12-metre e-bus saves more than 110 tonnes of CO₂ per year. But the e-drive not only avoids pollutants such as particulates, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides, it is significantly quieter, too. The result: in addition to an environmentally friendly journey, passengers, drivers and people living along bus routes are less affected by noise. There is another advantage with the braking system: the electric motors act as generators while braking and are able to feed energy back to the batteries.
Together into the e-bus age
We are taking the path of future technologies in bus transport together with the transport associations, the federal states and the municipalities. The changeover from diesel drives to alternative drives requires strong partnerships on the one hand and start-up financing on the other. ÖBB-Postbus is always ready for the implementation of projects and future models.
Our e-buses in operation
Southern Weinviertel relies on electric buses
Together with Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region (VOR), we are taking an innovative approach and will be putting eleven climate-friendly e-buses on the road in the southern Weinviertel region as of summer 2022. This will be the first regional bus system in Lower Austria to be operated with e-buses. The buses are proof that e-mobility is not just a topic for cities. We hope that this project will soon be followed by many others - all over Austria. In any case, we can't move fast enough with the conversion to alternative drives.
Austria's first e-ski bus
Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG, together with Postbus, is setting innovative standards in the field of sustainability for the tourism region of Zell am See-Kaprun. After the commissioning of Austria's first e-ski bus during the 2021/2022 ski season, the next step towards seamless CO2-neutral travel to the glacier skiing pleasure Kitzsteinhorn followed in April 2022. An electrically powered articulated bus from MAN was used by Postbus AG in test operation for several weeks on local transport line 660 between Zell am See and Kaprun. From winter 2022, further e-buses will be in use.
Vorarlberg is focusing on e-mobility for buses
Vorarlberg’s transport association and ÖBB-Postbus have already been working towards using electric intercity buses for scheduled services for years. The first four e-buses joined the fleet in February 2020, paving the way for even more environmentally friendly mobility in Vorarlberg. The 12-metre-long electric buses with a range of up to 290 kilometres per charge are unique in Austria. The e-buses powered by renewable energy are true climate heroes. Over their lifetime, each of the buses will save about 90% of CO₂ emissions when compared to a diesel bus. A big win both in terms of environmental protection and transport in Vorarlberg!
Electric city bus in Wolfsberg: a quiet ride with zero emissions
The municipality of Wolfsberg has also been playing a pioneering role in Carinthia since June 2020, when the city became home to a Postbus electric city bus. As in Judenburg, this saves around 23 tonnes of CO₂ emissions a year. With this vehicle, Wolfsberg and Postbus are together leading the way when it comes to emissions-free and quiet city traffic and thus climate protection.