Converting diesel buses to e-drive – new funding round launched

"The new call for funding for buses with climate-friendly drives is a positive signal to all operators who want to make their bus fleets fit for the future," says Utz-Jens Beister, Managing Director of IAV Cars GmbH. "Government funding will make environmentally friendly conversion affordable even for smaller companies."

The "IAV Elcty" e-parts kit enables existing MAN SD 200 and SD 202 double-decker buses to be converted from diesel to a modern and highly efficient electric drive and can in principle also be integrated into new vehicles.

As the first customer, Stadtrundfahrt Dresden GmbH already received a funding commitment in July 2022 as part of the first call for funding from the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV). The first vehicles of the Dresden sightseeing company have already been converted to e-drive.

Deadline for submitting funding applications ends on 10 September

In the BMDV’s second funding round, funding applications featuring IAV’s e-parts kit were also successfully submitted. The Berlin-based technology company supports interested parties in the application process and is also available to advise on questions relating to the installation of the e-parts set.

The deadline for applications for funding outlines under the BMDV’s third call for funding for buses with alternative and resource-saving drives in passenger transport is Sunday, 10 September, 2023. The funds will be awarded on the basis of an EU funding directive.

The retrofit will make the climate balance of the converted vehicles more sustainable in two ways: in addition to locally CO2-free driving, the retrofit will save a large proportion of the CO2 emissions that occur during the new production and disposal of a vehicle.