Source:
"Germany’s capital Berlin was forced to replace some of its electric buses with diesel buses due to range problems associated with the cold weather.
... some of the green electric buses operated by the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) had been taken out service due to range problems in the extremely cold weather.
Up to 23 electric buses had to be replaced by diesel-powered buses last Monday.
Ultimately the German capital plans to convert its entire fleet to electric by 2030.
According to internal memos provided to the Berliner Morgenpost daily, the very cold temperatures were too much for the electric buses’ batteries because so much power was needed for heating.
A portion of the electric buses were substituted by diesel buses overnight because they no longer had enough power to complete their planned routes.
BVG spokeswoman Petra Nelken confirmed that the twelve-meter-long Solaris e-bus was not able to cope well with the cold.
“According to the procurement contract and the specifications, they are supposed to be able to drive 130 kilometers even at minus 10 degrees Celsius, but not all of them made it,” she said.
... Altogether 23 buses of the 123 electric bus fleet were taken out of service, thus creating delays and forcing passengers to wait out in the cold at bus stops.
When asked by WELT, Nelken also emphasized that the buses were often not completely out of service, but only had to return to the depot (and to the charging) earlier than usual."