Public transport operators open new wave of electric bus depot upgrade tenders
A new contract to electrify a major bus depot highlights how public bodies are reshaping depots, power systems and maintenance to support zero-emission fleets.
A new contract to electrify a major bus depot highlights how public bodies are reshaping depots, power systems and maintenance to support zero-emission fleets.
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Stadtbus Ingolstadt GmbH has issued a contract notice for the Bus Depot Upgrade and Electrification project at its Hindenburgstraße depot. The scheme will adapt existing infrastructure and maintenance facilities to support an electric bus fleet, underlining how depots are becoming central to the shift towards cleaner public transport.
In December 2025, Stadtbus Ingolstadt GmbH published a contract notice for works at its bus depot on Hindenburgstraße in Ingolstadt. The notice, dated 26th December 2025, sets out plans to upgrade the site so it can host and service electric buses.
The scope, as described, focuses on enhancing infrastructure and facilities for charging and maintenance. That points to more than installing a few charging points. It implies reworking the depot’s power supply, parking layout and workshops so that electric buses can be charged, inspected and repaired without disrupting daily operations.
Although detailed technical requirements are not set out in the brief summary, the reference to "electrification" and maintenance facilities suggests a blend of civil engineering, electrical work and operational planning. The depot must be able to handle new vehicle types while still supporting today’s timetable.
The Ingolstadt project sits within a fast-growing cluster of tenders that are reshaping public transport depots for electric fleets.
In July 2025, NEW mobil und aktiv Mönchengladbach GmbH sought project management services for a new emissions-free bus depot at a former barracks site through its Bus Depot Construction Project. That scheme combines a new-build depot with facilities designed from the outset around electric buses and operational efficiency.
In August 2025, Hallesche Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft described how "public transport companies must transition to alternative drive technologies" when it launched Alternative Drives Conversion Planning for its Freiimfelder Straße depot. That notice, driven explicitly by the move to electric buses, shows how existing depots are being expanded and reconfigured rather than replaced outright.
The same pattern appears in December 2025 at Öffis Nahverkehr Hameln-Pyrmont GmbH, which is extending its facility in Hameln-Afferde to implement an e-mobility strategy. Its Expansion of Public Transport Facility combines construction of charging infrastructure with renovation of workshop areas, echoing the dual focus on power and maintenance seen in Ingolstadt.
Alongside these conversions, operators continue to commission entirely new depots. In August 2025, Freisinger Stadtwerke Versorgungs-GmbH tendered for Bus Depot Construction, focusing on the structural works needed for a modern facility. Whether through new builds or upgrades, depot projects are now routinely framed around future electric operations.
Recent notices show that electrifying a depot involves deep changes to power systems and control technology, not just parking and roofs.
In December 2025, Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) GmbH went to market for the Expansion of Charging Infrastructure at its Bus Depot Lindenau. The contract covers high and low voltage systems, cable connections, lighting, charger connections and a fire alarm system, underlining how safety and basic services are being redesigned around electric operations.
A few days earlier in December 2025, EW Bus GmbH advertised Charging Infrastructure for Regional Buses. That project combines planning and construction of scalable charging infrastructure with transformers, as well as training and maintenance services. The emphasis on scalability and skills indicates that authorities expect fleets and charging patterns to evolve over time.
Also in December 2025, PaderSprinter GmbH launched a Charging Infrastructure Procurement for its operating yard in Paderborn. The tender bundles planning, delivery and installation of the equipment with maintenance services, suggesting buyers want a single line of responsibility for both the build phase and ongoing performance.
Outside the bus sector, other public bodies are making similar upgrades. In October 2025, Land Schleswig-Holstein, represented by Gebäudemanagement Schleswig-Holstein AöR, sought specialist design for Charging Infrastructure Planning at a government campus, coupling an upgraded power supply with new charging points and photovoltaic systems.
In November 2025, the city of Detmold issued an E-Mobility Charging Infrastructure Planning notice for its construction yard. There, planners must design charging points, electrical distribution networks, load management and a backend solution for data processing and billing. This demonstrates that digital systems and smart load control are becoming integral to public-sector charging projects.
Across these notices, several themes recur:
The Ingolstadt depot upgrade is likely to touch many of these areas, even if the summary description remains high level.
While many tenders focus on battery-electric buses, others show that public operators are also investing in hydrogen and planning for mixed fleets over long timescales.
In December 2025, Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft AG sought works for Hydrogen Infrastructure Construction at its Am Unkelstein depot, aiming to replace diesel buses with fuel cell vehicles by 2030. That project, centred on a hydrogen refuelling station, shows how depot investments are being tailored to different low-emission technologies.
Also working with a mix of technologies, RVK | Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH is developing an "innovative depot" for hydrogen fuel cell and battery-electric buses. Its September 2025 notice for Construction Supervision Services highlights the need for close oversight of complex structural and technical systems.
In October 2025, Saint-Etienne Métropole published a notice for Electrification Project Management at two bus depots. The goal is to provide electrical power for medium-capacity buses while keeping operations running during construction and preparing for a gradual arrival of new electric vehicles until 2035. That long horizon underlines how depot upgrades are being phased alongside fleet renewal.
The link between vehicle procurement and infrastructure is spelled out in Dresden Transport Company AG’s framework for up to 45 electric buses. In October 2025 it tendered Electric Buses Procurement together with the necessary charging infrastructure to meet service requirements, recognising that new vehicles cannot operate without suitable depots.
New depots are also being planned with environmental issues in mind. In November 2025, Stadtwerke Frankfurt am Main Holding GmbH issued a notice for Planning Services for Bus Depot in Frankfurt-Seckbach. The scheme covers facilities for electric buses and maintenance, alongside site clearing and environmental remediation.
The complexity of these programmes is not limited to buses. In August 2025, S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH sought Construction Supervision for S-Bahn Works at its Elbgaustraße facility, including new cleaning and maintenance buildings and modernised electrical engineering. It reinforces the picture of depots and worksites as major construction and systems-integration projects.
The upgrade and electrification of the Hindenburgstraße bus depot in Ingolstadt is a concise notice, but it aligns closely with trends emerging across many recent procurements. Public operators are:
Other notices hint at where Ingolstadt’s project may head. In September 2025, Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen AG launched a contract for Charging Infrastructure Expansion at its Ückendorf depot, specifying 17 charging stations, two transformer stations and associated cabling. PROMET d.o.o.’s September 2025 Charging Infrastructure for Buses contract, delivered on a turnkey basis, shows another route: a single provider responsible from design documentation through to construction.
Beyond depots, some authorities are extending charging networks across whole territories. In December 2025, the city of Wilhelmshaven tendered an Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure contract for publicly accessible charging stations, while TüBus GmbH’s September 2025 Charging Infrastructure Procurement aims to install and maintain bus charging infrastructure at multiple locations to support a shift towards electric mobility and better air quality.
Against this backdrop, the Ingolstadt depot project is another step in a wider shift. As more details emerge during the procurement and delivery phases, observers will be watching how Stadtbus Ingolstadt GmbH balances construction with uninterrupted bus operations, how far it builds in scalability for future fleet growth, and whether further tenders follow for additional charging, vehicles or digital systems.
For now, the contract notice confirms one thing clearly: public transport depots are moving from being simple parking and refuelling yards to becoming complex energy and maintenance hubs for the next generation of buses.
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