Kiepe Electric trialling new e-bus charging system in Germany
By Luke Willetts - 20th July 2025
Germany – Kiepe Electric GmbH* of Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is repurposing existing overhead charging lines (originally intended for LRVs or trolleybuses) as a power source for modern electric bus charging. The company is trialling this in Erfurt, Germany, using a system that “taps into the depot’s 750 V DC catenary to feed two CCS chargers, delivering 100 kW per port or a combined 200 kW output”. This approach eliminates the need for new grid infrastructure, easing demand on public power networks and allowing for greater charging flexibility for operators. The company said that if successful, it plans to roll this out across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.
