In 1973, Henschel and BBC built three diesel-electric prototypes at their own expense to gather experiences with three-phase traction motors. All three had 2,500 hp diesel engines either from MTU or Henschel, what led to the designation DE 2500. The first and the third one had six axles, while the second one only had four. All three went into test service with the Bundesbahn in different liveries, numbered 202 002 to 202 004.

202 002 was soon rebuilt to be used as an electric locomotive under 1,500 V DC in the Netherlands, but the NS ultimately decided to order the series 1600 from Alstom. In the early eighties, the four-axle 202 003 was provided with special high-speed bogies which allowed to suspend the traction motors either onto the bogie frames or onto the locomotive frame. It also got a streamlined nose similar to that of the class 103 on one end and reached a top speed of 250 km/h. In the end none of the prototypes was produced in series, but they provided valuable input for the development of future locomotives and multiple units with three-phase traction motors.