In contrast to the older networks in Heidelberg, Karlsruhe and Mannheim, which were all electrified three months before the plant opened in Freiburg, trams in the Breisgau were powered by electricity from the outset and used lyric current collectors. The power plant opened on 1 October 1901 and regularly produced direct current. In the first year, 61 percent of the 177,000 Kilowatt hours were used by the tram network. This was until 1933, when it received its own supply. At the start, this is how the network ran: Lines A and D ran along Habsburger Straße, Kaiser-Joseph-Straße and Günterstalstraße, while the section Line D alone served along the entire length of Schauninslandstraße. Lines B and C both followed Bismarckallee, Bertoldstraße, Salzstraße, Straße Oberlinden and the Schwabentorring until its southern end. From there, Line B alone served Hildastraße and Urachstraße, whilst Line C followed Schwarzwaldstraße to the east. For train crossings, seven evasions were accessible on the single-track east-west route.During the morning peak, up to 18 trams were used simultaneously, whilst nine others were in reserve. In the inner city, a more dense supply resulted from the superposition of Lines A and D. There was on the single Double-track railway of the network between Rennweg, now Hauptstraße, and Lorettostraße up to 16 trips per hour. On the interchange Lorettostraße-Günterstal, which was originally cross-bordered, the only intermediate passing loop was at Wonnhalde. As a single line, the one to Güterstal, as was the case at the time, was operated from the outset by a trailer car. For this purpose, there was a transfer line at the two terminals of Rennweg and Günterstal. There were four open summer carriages available for the strong holiday traffic during this season. The section serving Hauptbahnhof and Schwabentorbrücke was served by twelve cars an hour. However, due to the single-track infrastructure, the trams on lines B and C always ran very close behind each other. An operational feature from the earlier years was the level junction of the interurban route to Günterstal with Höllentalbahn, which had not yet been electrified.