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Starting in 2026, Daimler Buses will begin installing powerful chargers for electric buses in popular tourist spots — in parking lots near amusement parks, in major cities, and other high-traffic locations. The company aims to address the main problem of electric public transport: the catastrophic shortage of charging infrastructure outside cities, making intercity routes on electric buses a rarity.
The pilot project will launch next year in Cologne (Germany). Four fast charging stations will appear near the city center at the Buspark Cologne parking lot on Kuhweg street. Each station will be able to provide up to 400 kW — significantly more powerful than typical overnight chargers for city buses (50-80 kW). Electric buses of any brand will be able to charge, and the stations will operate around the clock.
The project is being launched with the support of the regional energy and climate agency NRW.Energy4Climate and the authorities of Cologne. Currently, Daimler Buses is the only bus manufacturer in Europe that is building its own public charging network.
The construction, operation, and maintenance of the stations are handled by the subsidiary company Daimler Buses Solutions. It operates on a "turnkey" principle: parking lot owners do not need to invest money or organize the process — everything is done by Daimler. The stations pay off through the sale of electricity.
At the end of the experiment, the authorities of Cologne will assess how in-demand the new infrastructure for long-distance electric buses will turn out to be.
This initiative coincides with the release of the new electric intercity bus Mercedes-Benz eIntouro, which Daimler presented on October 3 at the Busworld 2025 exhibition in Brussels. The bus with two batteries can travel up to 500 kilometers on a single charge. For city routes, the company has been producing the electric eCitaro since 2018, and by the end of the decade, it plans to add tourist electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell models to the lineup.
Source: Daimler
