BVG has held a topping-out ceremony for the charging infrastructure of its new Treptow electric bus depot.
The facility is being built on a 6.6-hectare site near the Minna-Todenhagen Bridge and is designed to support the operation of electric buses with modern charging, workshop, and administrative technology.
The depot spans both sides of the Spree River. On the riverbank along Köpenicker Landstraße, it will include parking and charging for around 220 buses, a service hall with washing facilities, an administration building, and automated loading docks with roof-mounted pantographs for charging. The opposite bank will house workshop facilities and parking for an additional 32 buses. The site will accommodate approximately 700 employees who will support the city’s electric bus operations.
Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin, said:Berlin is a pioneer in expanding the charging infrastructure and electromobility – for attractive public transport and a higher quality of life in our city. This depot is an important milestone on the path to an emission-free fleet. The transport revolution is achievable – if Berlin and the federal government work together.
The depot will use an automated management system to optimise bus deployment, parking, charging, and maintenance.
The construction is expected to cost around 120 million EUR and is funded through federal and state contributions, the German Recovery and Resilience Plan, and the European Recovery and Resilience Facility under NextGenerationEU.
Patrick Schnieder, Federal Minister of Transport said:Electric buses are increasingly becoming a key component of climate-friendly public transport. However, the transition is a mammoth task for transport companies. With our funding, we are creating a balance and also supporting the development of the necessary infrastructure. BVG has been proving for years that the transition works and pays off – for the company, for citizens, and especially for the environment. The Federal Ministry of Transport is supporting BVG's overall BIG2025 project with approximately 160 million euros.
BVG currently operates around 277 electric buses. By 2027, about one-third of its total fleet of 1,500 vehicles is expected to be electric, with a fully emission-free fleet projected for the early 2030s. The Treptow depot, together with the Säntisstraße depot, will provide capacity for the south and southeast of Berlin, supporting efforts to reduce emissions and noise in urban transport.
This milestone follows the start of construction this summer on BVG’s additional new e-bus depot in Marienfelde.
Henrik Falk, CEO of BVG said:After a 60-year hiatus, we are building two new depots simultaneously. This should make it clear to everyone how serious we are. And we urgently need both depots to ensure a stable bus system for our city in the future. Just as with the Säntisstraße depot, we are setting completely new standards here in Treptow for all future projects.
In addition to depot construction, BVG is expanding charging infrastructure across the city, including the installation of charging stations at up to 20 terminal stops.
