Electric locomotive 181 213-0, in oriental red livery, named "Saar"

The main area of operation for the 3,300 kW electric locomotives was initially in cross-border traffic on the routes Frankfurt a. M. – Metz and Strasbourg – Stuttgart, where they transported express, fast, and freight trains. They were also seen in IC and EC services in Luxembourg, Basel, Leipzig, and other German cities.

The era of this series at Deutsche Bahn AG ended only in 2018. However, some locomotives have since returned to the tracks through other railway companies, enriching the diversity of modern railway vehicles.