Moscow Is Expanding Its E-Bus Fleet—But Other Regions Aren't Following Suit
Moscow is the European leader in the use of electric public buses. This environmentally friendly mode of transportation is more energy-efficient and also less expensive to maintain than conventional buses. However, the high initial cost of electric buses is deterring many Russian cities from diversifying their public transit systems.
Between January and August 2026, 429 new electric buses were registered in Russia, an increase of about 80% compared to the same period last year (239 registrations), according to the Russian industry agency Avtostat. The total number of new buses was 5,760—a 3.3% decrease compared to the same period last year. The market share of electric buses in Russia’s total fleet currently stands at 7.4%. Last year, this figure was 4.2%.
The city of Moscow accounts for the majority of new electric buses (75.5%), followed at a considerable distance by St. Petersburg with 23.3%. Moscow launched its program to electrify public transit in 2018. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, more than 3,100 electric buses operate on 310 routes in the capital, representing 52% of the city bus fleet operated by Mosgortrans, Moscow’s state-owned public transportation company. By the end of the year, the fleet is set to be expanded to 3,300 vehicles. More than 5,000 electric buses are planned by 2030. By comparison, in Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, 142 electric buses currently transport passengers from point A to point B.
Moscow in an International Comparison
With more than 3,100 electric buses, Moscow is the city with the largest fleet of electric buses in Europe. London ranks second with about 3,000 zero-emission buses—a figure that includes not only electric buses but also hydrogen buses. Third place goes to Paris with about 1,100 vehicles. In a global comparison of countries, China is the clear leader with 680,000 electric buses, according to a 2024 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). India ranks second with over 15,000 electric buses. South Korea rounds out the top three with 12,830 units (as of June 2025). In the United Kingdom, more than 7,000 electric buses are in operation. Germany has 4,752 electric buses, according to the E-Bus Radar report by the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers International. Hamburg (709) and Berlin (277) have the most e-buses. Chile has just under 4,100 e-buses, all of which operate in the capital, Santiago.
Cost Concerns Slow Down Electric Buses
Kamaz, Russia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, plays a key role in the production of electric buses. The long-established company is building electric buses for the Russian capital as part of a comprehensive supply contract. The deal covers 1,200 units with a 15-year maintenance warranty. One modern electric bus is the Kamaz–52222 of the A5 generation, with a battery capacity of 230 kWh. This vehicle can travel at least 100 km without stopping to recharge. The charging process itself takes 55 minutes. According to the Moscow city government, Kamaz has contributed 2,500 electric buses to the capital’s fleet, with an additional 570 units supplied by the Russian commercial vehicle manufacturer Liaz.
According to the industry and research magazine Technoswera Rossija, a modern electric bus costs 70 million rubles or more, equivalent to 720,700 euros. There are also more affordable options: The central Russian city of Kursk is paying approximately 48 million rubles (494,000 euros) per unit for ten Kamaz-6282 e-buses from the previous generation. In addition to Moscow, there are several electric bus routes in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. In other Russian cities, pilot projects are currently underway, or only a small number of electric buses are in operation.
Most Russian cities cannot afford to switch to modern, environmentally friendly electric buses. The Siberian metropolis of Omsk, for example, decided this year against introducing electric buses. Observers attribute this to the high acquisition costs: the purchase price for two previously tested electric bus models is said to have been 53 million and 43 million rubles (545,670 and 442,717 euros). Many cities are instead opting for conventional buses—some of which are subsidized by the government—or trolleybuses, a mode of transportation that is still widespread in Russia and is also powered by traction current.
Batteries Run Out
Moscow has over 460 charging stations and 12 maintenance facilities for its urban electric transit system. However, the use of electric buses comes with numerous challenges. According to experts, the density of the charging infrastructure is often insufficient, which can lead to delays on individual city bus routes or even service disruptions involving electric buses. Charging accounts for an average of 10% of an electric bus’s total operating time, not including potential wait times at charging stations.
The performance of batteries in electric buses is another problem for transportation companies. According to the state-run industry publication *Transport Rossii*, the average lifespan of an electric bus battery is five to seven years. In winter, the battery also discharges more quickly, which similarly disrupts operations. In general, battery capacity decreases over time, and with it, the performance of electric buses. Under ideal weather conditions of 20 degrees Celsius, an electric bus with a 300 kWh battery can travel up to 375 km, explains Valery Mashkov, director of the Moscow Research Institute for Automobile Transport (NIIAT). However, when using a diesel heater, the range drops to just 214 to 300 km, and with an electric heater, it falls to as low as 130 km, the NIIAT managing director points out.
Sources: Awtostat, Mos.ru, Gazeta SPB, Transport Rossiji, Technoswera (all RU); IEA 1, 2, Electric Drives (all EN), PwC
Source: German-Russian Chamber of Foreign Trade, “Moscow Expands Its E-Bus Fleet—But Regions Are Not Following Suit,” September 18, 2026.
This article was prepared for the German-Russian Chamber of Foreign Trade.