NIAG in Moers (Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe AG), founded in 1909, put its first electric buses into service at a small celebration with many guests on 24 June. The twelve vehicles are supplied by Ebusco from the Netherlands and are of Ebusco’s new type 3.0. The vehicles will initially be used on route 911 from Kamp-Lintfort to Duisburg-Ruhrort.
NIAG in Moers (Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe AG), founded in 1909, put its first electric buses into service at a small celebration with many guests on 24 June. The twelve vehicles are supplied by Ebusco from the Netherlands and are of Ebusco’s new type 3.0. The vehicles will initially be used on route 911 from Kamp-Lintfort to Duisburg-Ruhrort.
NIAG is owned by a public-private partnership. Since 2006, 51% of the company has been owned by the private Rethmann Group (Rhenus), while a further 46% of the shares are owned by the two districts served by NIAG, Wesel (43%) and Kleve (3%). The remaining 3% is held by local authorities from the transport region, namely the cities of Duisburg (1.26%), Wesel (1.11%) and Moers (0.63%). During the speeches at the ceremony, it was emphasised that this public-private partnership had proved its worth,
NIAG’s targets
Even though the first electric buses have only just arrived at NiIAG, the company is now aiming to quickly switch to emission-free operation. The aim is to have only electric buses running in the Wesel district by 2030 and in the Kleve district by 2035. Until then, the company is investigating whether the use of buses that run on the alternative fuel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils) is suitable for improving air quality in NIAG’s transport area. Or whether other interim solutions are available. (The fact that diesel buses are to be used in the Kleve district for five years longer naturally harbours a certain probability that NIAG’s oldest buses will accumulate in the Kleve district).
Incidentally, the switch to electric buses is of course also dependent on the “funding backdrop”: who is subsidising the switch and with what financial resources? The federal government will only cover 80% of the additional costs for the purchase of an electric bus until 2025. NRW Transport Minister Krischer said in his speech: “The state of North Rhine-Westphalia will continue to subsidise the purchase of electric buses after 2025. But we cannot take over the entire share from the federal government if it really does pull out of the subsidy programme.”
NIAG expects to be operating 333 buses in 2035, including midibuses and buses operated on behalf of private companies.
From 2035, when all buses have been converted to electric drive, the company will emit 18,000 tonnes less CO2 per year.
NIAG has currently ordered a further 43 electric buses. It has depots in Geldern, Kleve, Moers and Wesel. Recharging stations will be installed at all four locations and will be supplied by Heliox, a specialist in charging infrastructure.
The new Ebusco 3.0
Let’s move on to the new battery-electric buses (car numbers 8501 to 8512). The first thing you notice is that they do not have the usual NIAG outfit of white with build stripes and blue lettering. They are deliberately intended to present themselves as special vehicles. And so NIAG asked its passengers. Two design drafts were proposed for the new buses: one version with a stylised Lower Rhine landscape, and one version with various curved coloured lines to symbolise electromobility. More than 1,100 people took part in the vote: more than 70 % voted in favour of the Lower Rhine landscape. And so buss 8501 to 8512 also have this outfit.
The e-buses are designed for recharging exclusively during the nightly break at the depot, using cables and CCS combo plugs. NIAG: “The range of the batteries has increased significantly in recent years. In addition, lightweight materials such as composite plastic are deliberately used in the construction of the Ebusco 3.0 so that the vehicle weighs little.” This is because weight that is not there and does not need to be set in motion does not cost any energy. “This means that the trolleys can easily be on the road from morning to evening without recharging.” Ebusco even certifies that its “3.0” has a range of up to 700 kilometres. So why recharge on the line?
The unladen weight of the vehicle is only 9,950 kg – not even 10 tonnes. Its low weight is also reflected in the fact that it only has single tyres on the rear axle – and no twin tyres here. The Ebusco 3.0 is 12,000 mm long, with a maximum permissible width of 2,550 mm and a height of 3,190 mm. It is available as a two- and three-door model and can carry up to 110 passengers, which is currently still a peak value for a battery bus. The floor is 340 mm above the carriageway, making the Ebusco 3.0 a genuine low-floor bus. There is a good reason why it is lower than other buses: the Ebusco 3.0 also fits through the low subway, where other buses have to give way. (One example is the Rheinallee subway in Bonn’s Bad Godesberg district).
Ebusco is taking a rather unorthodox approach to accommodating the batteries in the bus. Unlike most buses, the Ebusco 3.0 does not have its batteries on the roof or in the rear, where a diesel bus would have its engine: no, its batteries are located under the floor. No more talk of bulky, heavy lead boxes …
The vehicle operates with an electrical voltage of 400 volts alternating current, and its power is delivered to the road by two electric motors, each with an output of 125 kW (i.e. 250 kW in total, equivalent to 340 hp). The batteries work with the cell chemistry lithium iron phosphate (LiFePh).
Incidentally, the new Ebusco made the journey from the delivery plant in Venray in the Netherlands to Moers on their own axles: it is only around 50 kilometres.
