Public passenger transport 

PostBus pushes ahead with electrification

PostBus systematically presses ahead with its electrification strategy. As Switzerland’s biggest public transport bus company, PostBus wants to convert its entire fleet to alternative drive systems. In 2024, in the Saas Valley among other places, a new approach to public transport with electric buses and shuttle vehicles was implemented.

With 45 battery-powered buses currently in operation, PostBus is proving that electromobility works – including in geographically challenging conditions. “As the biggest bus company in Swiss public transport, we want to play a pioneering role in climate-friendly mobility,” says Mark Bögli, Head of ElMo Transformation at PostBus. “By 2035, we will convert the entire fleet of around 2,300 vehicles to alternative drive systems, reducing CO₂ emissions from the vehicles to zero.” In regional passenger transport and local transport, PostBus works closely with the Confederation, cantons and municipalities, which purchase and co-finance these services. The fleet is being converted in close cooperation with these partners. In the first quarter of 2025, there should already be 100 electric Postbuses on Swiss roads, 100 percent powered by electricity from renewable energy sources in Switzerland.

Climate-friendly transport in the Saas Valley

The successful operation of eleven electric Postbuses in Graubünden has shown that the switch from fossil fuels to battery-powered buses is also possible without difficulty in mountain regions. Since 2024, four new electric Postbuses have also been running in the Saas Valley during the winter season, carrying passengers from Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell to Saas-Fee. The Postbuses go directly to the valley station for the Alpin Express, ideal for winter sports enthusiasts. In addition, two electric shuttles have also been introduced in Saas-Fee, running every 6 minutes at weekends. The modern, accessible vehicles are part of a comprehensively expanded public transport service for locals and guests, enabling climate-friendly – and much quieter – travel in the Saas Valley.

This project paved the way for further developments in Upper Valais: In summer 2024, electric Postbuses were used on various routes for test purposes. Now, from December 2025, the Brig–Glis / Naters / Bitsch local bus service will also be electrified with six buses.

Conversion requires a holistic approach

“Conversion involves more than just replacing vehicles,” explains Mark Bögli. “Electromobility requires a completely different overall system: timetables, vehicles, charging infrastructure and staff deployment have to be carefully coordinated.” The focus is currently on battery-powered buses with an average range of around 250 kilometres per charge. The daily range can be increased if the battery is recharged several times a day – either in short intervals at the terminal stops or during breaks in the depot, for example at lunchtime. In mountainous areas, the batteries can also be recharged on the downhill stretches while braking. “Battery technology is developing rapidly and will significantly improve the capacity and cost-effectiveness of battery-powered buses in the coming years,” says Mark Bögli. “The more kilometres a battery-powered bus covers, the more cost-effective it becomes.”