How important is bus electrification for Mercedes-Benz?
By 2030 every new city bus sold by us in Europe will be an emission free bus. We are determined to free our cities from emissions pollution and noise as fast as we can.
We are living in the decade of the bus and its popularity is growing, For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) expects a 10 per cent growth in demand for public bus mobility in our core markets of Europe and Latin America for the period from 2019 to 2030. We are therefore shaping our product pipeline accordingly to serve the needs of our customers best.
Tell us about the latest addition to the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro family: the eCitaro K?
The eCitaro K is a compact 10.6-metre-long electric bus. This new model is designed for urban areas with narrow streets and lower passenger volumes, making it ideal for suburban routes or older city centres. Despite its smaller size, the eCitaro K can still accommodate up to 84 passengers, offering a practical solution for public transport systems that need agility without sacrificing capacity.
Equipped with five high-voltage battery packs, the bus has a total energy capacity of 491 kWh, providing a range of over 300 kilometres under favourable conditions. The eCitaro K can be charged via plug or pantograph, offering flexibility for different charging setups.
The eCitaro K comes with a 1.5 metre shorter wheelbase. This makes it possible to manoeuvre very smoothly especially on winding roads, in cities with narrow lanes or many hills. It also has an impressively tight turning circle of just 17.3 metres, roughly four metres less than a regular city bus. Also, this bus is particularly special because it completes the range for our city bus segment.
With regards to vehicle safety how important a consideration is it for the eCitaro K?
As more buses hit our roads in the future safety becomes even more important. We are addressing this need with a broad range of advanced safety systems.
Safety features on the eCitaro K include a 360-degree camera system, Preventive Brake Assist 2 as well as several other advanced driver assistance technologies to ensure both passenger and pedestrian safety.
What about the eCitaro G?
For our European customers we now have five eCitaro variants available which cover effectively every relevant use case. The eCitaro G handles large passenger volumes, for example on highly frequented routes in cities and is also available with a fuel cell to extend the range.
How is the electrification of bus depots progressing?
The demand for electric city buses is growing and the same is true for turnkey solutions to electrify the corresponding bus depots. We are currently transforming over 20 depots of varying sizes throughout Europe. The most recent one includes construction works for 41 charging stations with a total of 122 charging points in the Hague, Netherlands, for a local public transport operator there. The project is well underway, the charging infrastructure is almost fully installed and construction work is underway at the terminal stop.
Till Oberwörder, CEO, Daimler Buses
