By comparison with the Uerdingen railbus, the railcars were quieter (despite the typical whine of their DC motors), rode more smoothly on the rails owing to the weight of the batteries, and were pollution-free (no smoke or fumes).

They were very popular with passengers, who nicknamed them Akkublitz (Battery Lightning), Säurebomber (Acid Bombers), Steckdosen-InterCity (Socket InterCitys), Taschenlampen-Express (Pocket Torch Express), or Biene Maja (Maya the Bee – because of the sound they made when under way).

They were rarely used on hilly lines owing to the resultant high current consumption and hence limited range.

Compared to the Prussian Wittfeld accumulator cars, the ETA 150s had an unfavourable weight distribution − the batteries were located in the middle of the coach body instead of over the end axles, so that in their last years in service the frames tended to sag in the middle, which resulted in the vehicles' acquiring the nickname Hängebauchschweine (Pot-bellied pigs).

Shortly before their retirement a few vehicles were painted in DB's paint scheme at that time – white and peppermint green – and ran in this livery on the Nokia Railway (today the Glückauf Railway) from Bochum Hbf to Gelsenkirchen Hbf.