How municipalities and companies are benefiting from the new BMV funding round and mastering electrification economically.
The electrification of bus fleets is a central task for transport companies and municipalities. With the current federal funding guidelines, this investment is more attractive than ever before. Secure a funding rate of up to 80 percent for e-buses and future-proof your vehicle fleet.
Increasing operating costs and strict emissions requirements are forcing fleet operators to take action. The transition to zero-emission engines is inevitable, but the high initial investments represent a significant hurdle. This is exactly where the federal government comes in: With the “Guideline for the Promotion of Alternative Bus Drive Systems” and an E-Bus funding rate of 80 percent in 2025, the switch is massively subsidized. This program makes electrification the only logical decision for municipalities and private companies, not only ecologically but also economically. HEERO is your partner to make full use of this potential.
The BMV supports the purchase or conversion of e-buses with up to 80% of additional investment expenditure.
The current funding call runs until August 31, 2025 and also includes charging infrastructure with a subsidy of up to 40%.
The conversion of existing vehicles is an eligible and particularly economical alternative to buying new ones.
The Federal Government is intensifying its efforts for climate-friendly mobility with a clear focus on public transport. With its guideline, the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMV) is specifically supporting the market ramp-up of buses with alternative drives. The goal is ambitious: The program will bring around 3,500 climate-friendly buses onto German roads. This opens up a decisive window of time for transport companies and municipalities.
Project outlines for the current funding call can be submitted until August 31, 2025. This deadline marks a unique opportunity to set the course for an emission-free fleet. The funding provided of around 1.2 billion euros underlines the seriousness of this project. This is the only way to achieve the necessary transformation of fleet management for many companies.
The high funding rate is aimed at a wide range of applicants, including public transport companies and private bus operators. Up to 80 percent of additional investment expenditure for the purchase of battery-electric or fuel-cell-based buses compared to a diesel reference vehicle is funded. This drastically reduces acquisition costs and significantly improves the total cost of ownership (TCO) balance sheet. In addition, the necessary charging and refueling infrastructure is subsidized at a rate of up to 40 percent.
Even higher funding rates are possible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This structure makes the program particularly attractive for municipal and medium-sized companies. The funding is deliberately designed to be open to technology in order to accelerate the widespread use of new drives. This makes the transition to sustainable technologies economically feasible for a larger group of users.
In addition to the new purchase, the funding guideline explicitly focuses on the conversion of existing diesel vehicles. With the patented D2E conversion, HEERO offers a technologically leading solution based on the principle of circular economy. Instead of retiring proven vehicles with expensive special bodies, they are given a second, electric life. This not only saves valuable resources, but also your budget. The benefits of retrofitting are manifold:
Maintaining expensive and proven vehicle bodies.
Significantly lower investment costs compared to a new purchase.
Up to 80 percent funding on the total conversion costs.
Quick implementation within a few weeks.
Reducing CO2 emissions in operations by 100 percent.
The subsidized conversion is the most economical option, especially for scheduled bus companies or other usage scenarios. This approach enables you to modernize your fleet quickly and cost-effectively.
Project outlines are submitted via the “Easy-online” online portal and requires careful preparation. The funding is awarded in a competitive process in which projects are evaluated on the basis of their CO2 avoidance and profitability. A detailed presentation of the deployment concept and expected efficiency is therefore crucial for success.
The deadline for submission is August 31, 2025, although approval is subject to the adoption of the federal budget 2025. An early and professionally prepared application is the key to receiving funding. As your partner, HEERO accompanies you through the entire process, from conception to the final funding application. This ensures that your project meets all criteria for the maximum funding rate.
An e-bus is only as good as the charging infrastructure that supplies it. The BMV funding guidelines take this fact into account and subsidize the development of the necessary infrastructure with up to 40 percent. This includes charging stations at the depot as well as fast charging points along the route. Well-thought-out planning is essential here to ensure fleet availability of over 95 percent and to optimize operational processes.
HEERO offers you a comprehensive solution that goes far beyond the vehicle. We analyse your requirements and design a tailor-made charging infrastructure solution for you with our partner network. The combined transport of vehicle and infrastructure significantly reduces the overall costs of changing the system. This makes the transition to electric mobility a predictable and economically viable project.
A central goal of the funding program is the measurable reduction of greenhouse gases in the transport sector. The supported vehicles are expected to produce around 2.6 million tons of CO over their lifetime2 save. Applicants must therefore convincingly explain in their project outline how their project contributes to CO2-Reduction provides. This is a decisive criterion in the competitive selection process. With a HEERO E-Sprinter, you can reduce direct emissions to zero while driving.
Our D2E conversion even doubly improves the CO2 balance by avoiding emissions from the new production of a vehicle. This focus on sustainability and effective CO2-Saving optimally positions your project for successful funding. Electrification thus becomes a direct contribution to the climate goals of your municipality or company.
The current e-bus funding rate of 80 percent 2025 offers an exceptional opportunity to make the switch to electric mobility economical. It massively lowers investment barriers for municipalities and companies and accelerates the urgently needed transport turnaround. Whether through the purchase of a new e-van or the innovative D2E-conversion — financial incentives have never been greater. HEERO is at your side as an innovative partner to make the most of this opportunity. We combine technological excellence with pragmatic solutions for your vehicle fleet.
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Additional investment expenditure for battery and fuel cell buses compared to a comparable diesel bus (up to 80%), the costs of converting a diesel vehicle (up to 80%) and the purchase and installation of the necessary charging or hydrogen refueling infrastructure (up to 40%) are supported.
The call for funding is based on the government draft for the 2025 federal budget. The final approval of the projects is therefore subject to the approval of the planned funds by the Bundestag.
For the first stage, a project outline is required, which describes the project, the expected CO2- Savings, describes the deployment concept and funding requirements. Submission is made online. HEERO supports you in preparing all necessary documents.
Yes, funding is not limited to specific types of vehicles. The conversion of commercial vehicles such as the Sprinter to an electric drive is eligible, provided that the criteria of the Directive are met. Our D2E-conversion is specifically designed for such cases.
Yes, we offer comprehensive advice that covers the entire process from analyzing your needs to designing the most economical solution (new purchase or conversion) to preparing the funding application. Request a free consultation now.
After being submitted in due time by August 31, 2025, the sketches will be evaluated in a competitive process. Successful projects are invited to submit a formal funding application. Approval is expected after the Federal Budget Act comes into force in autumn 2025.
The official Federal Government website provides comprehensive information on political initiatives and funding programs, including the transport revolution and electric mobility.
Die NOW GmbH is a federally owned company that coordinates the development and implementation of funding programs for sustainable mobility and energy, such as federal funding for e-buses.
The Contract partner Jülich (PtJ) is an institution of Forschungszentrum Jülich and supports federal ministries in implementing research and innovation funding programs, including the evaluation of applications for e-bus funding.
