In this paper we present a novel mathematical model, integrating the timetabling and vehicle schedulingproblems for electric buses. The objective is to minimize the number of buses while satisfying constraintsconcerning routing and charging, including design choices of where to install charging equipment. Weillustrate the different effects of tackling the timetabling and vehicle scheduling of electric buses as separateproblems or as a joint problem, both for fixed and variable headways. To do so, tests are performed with: (i) given timetable, i.e. solving only the vehicle scheduling problem, (ii) fixed headways for each line, (iii) variable headways. For these tests, a small case based on four bidirectional bus lines is used.