The claim
The Zillertalbahn's electric buses are apparently charged with a diesel generator.
Our conclusion
The Zillertalbahn is currently testing a new electric bus. And the test also includes trying out charging with a unit. This is where the video clip comes from.
Two very similar videos of an electric bus are making the rounds on various social media and messenger services. One is linked above. On the second you can see a black electric bus from MAN that is currently being charged, with the mirror image of another white bus from the Zillertalbahn . The camera pans along the cable to a mobile charging station and further to a mineral oil-powered generator. Yes, an electric bus is actually being charged with a diesel generator! But only as a test.
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The story behind the pictures with the e-bus
However, the shocking images only tell part of the story. The videos were taken on Thursday, December 15th, at the bus station in the Tyrolean community of Jenbach. According to meinkreis.at , “there were problems with the amount of electricity when charging the e-buses”. The Tiroler Tageszeitung has now conducted an interview with the technical manager of the Zillertal transport company. Helmut Schreiner explained that they are currently testing a MAN .
Against the background of a power outage lasting several hours in Jenbach on November 13th, we also tested the charging of the battery bus in the event of a power outage or blackout using a diesel generator at short notice. The bus was not fully charged, but only partially.
Technical Manager, Helmut Schreiner for TT
Public transport must also be adequately prepared for crisis situations. During normal operation, the vehicle is charged in its garage in Mayrhofen in the Zillertal, 33 kilometers away, and via the TIWAG . So far, the tests with the electric bus have been satisfactory.
The competition never sleeps
The bus and travel company Christopherus be relying on electric buses from MAN in the future. Together with the Tux-Finkenberg in the Tux and Ziller valleys, four electric-powered ski buses are scheduled to start operating from January 2023. Company boss Andreas Kröll initially had concerns that there could be problems in the mountainous area of operation, but these have now been eliminated, as the magazine Blickpunkt trucks & bus quotes: “We are thus achieving a CO₂ saving of 324,190 kg CO₂ per year.”
The topography is of course a challenge. But the energy that is used uphill is recovered back downhill. This means that the buses can cover the typical daily distance of 220 kilometers without having to be recharged in between. However, the “entire electrical charging infrastructure including all necessary technical and safety-related facilities” had to be rebuilt. This happened here together with the energy supplier TINETZ , as meinbezirk.at writes.

CONCLUSION
Yes, in Jenbach an e-bus was charged with a diesel generator. But it's the details that matter: The unusual loading process was part of a test. Before electric buses from MAN were given a reg
Before you can start operating your electric vehicle, you naturally want to know what options are available in an exceptional situation. The bus is usually charged in its garage in Mayrhofen in the Zillertal.
The Zillertal transport company is not the only one currently testing MAN electric buses. Next door, four such ski buses for the Tux-Finkenberg region are scheduled to go into operation from January 2023.
Sources: TT , meinviertel.at , Blickpunkt Trucks & Bus , Zillertalbahn , Christopherus , MAN , TIWAG , TINETZ , tux.at
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