German cities show varying rates of electric bus adoption

A study by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) reveals significant regional disparities in the adoption of electric buses across major German cities. Mannheim leads the ranking with 60 percent of its bus fleet powered by battery technology, followed by Freiburg and Karlsruhe, both at approximately 52 percent.

Münster also shows strong progress, ranking fifth nationally and leading within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Local officials note that nearly half of Münster's buses were electric by the end of 2025, with a target of 60 percent by the end of 2026.

In contrast, several cities including Augsburg, Essen, Wuppertal, Krefeld, and Magdeburg reported no battery-electric buses in use at the time of the study. Major metropolitan areas also lag behind the leaders: Hamburg has an electrification rate of 36.9 percent, Cologne 25.9 percent, Munich 16.7 percent, and Berlin 16.7 percent.

While diesel remains the dominant propulsion method for roughly 80 percent of the current fleet, procurement plans for 2026 through 2030 suggest a shift, with an average of two-thirds of new vehicle acquisitions expected to be battery-electric.