The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro reaches a new milestone: More than 2,500 units of the low-floor electric bus have rolled off the production line in Mannheim since the start of series production at the end of 2018 and have been delivered to customers. Numerous large orders from German cities such as Stuttgart, Hamburg, Bonn, Dresden, Bremen, Wiesbaden, Nuremberg or Mannheim, but also transport companies in France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and many other European countries prove: trust in the electric bus with the three-pointed star has made it a real model of success.
“Thanks to ongoing further development, the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro has continuously expanded and continued its success story,” says Mirko Sgodda, Head of Marketing, Sales and Customer Services Daimler Buses. “We have continuously improved it in terms of drive variants, safety and range – and the success speaks for itself: the eCitaro is attractive, safe, reliable and economical to operate. On request, Daimler Buses supports customers in the transition to electromobility with turnkey solutions from a single source consisting of electric buses, charging infrastructure and depot management.”
Constantly growing number of variants for European public transport
The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro combines the tried and tested platform of the Citaro, the best-selling Mercedes-Benz city bus of all time, with new technological solutions and a novel design. The powerful and locally CO2-free low-floor electric bus covers demanding routes and almost 100% of all transport companies’ requirements for maximum range.
In 2018, the eCitaro was initially launched as a 12.14-metre-long solo bus with a battery capacity of up to 243 Wh. Today, it is equipped with four to a maximum of six battery packs from the third NMC3 lithium-ion battery generation with the main components nickel, manganese and cobalt oxide (NMC) and a total capacity of up to 588 kWh. But it can also be even shorter and more compact: the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro K with a length of 10.63 metres packs the same power. Both solobus variants are equipped with two or three doors and combine high transport capacities with a long range. The eCitaro model family also includes the 18.13-metre-long and three- or four-door eCitaro G articulated bus, which can be equipped with a minimum of four and a maximum of seven battery packs with a total capacity of up to 686 kWh.
2023 marks the year in which the eCitaro fuel cell and eCitaro G fuel cell were launched, both equipped with a 60 kW fuel cell as a range extender and hydrogen tanks on the roof. Consequently, the possible ranges that can be achieved without recharging are increased. The solo and articulated buses are based on a battery-electric drive with NMC 3 high-voltage batteries. The fuel cell generates electricity from hydrogen and serves to extend the range. Three NMC3 battery packs with a total capacity of 294 kWh are used in the eCitaro fuel cell solo bus, while three or four battery packs with a maximum energy capacity of 392 kWh are available for the eCitaro G fuel cell articulated bus.
Another innovation on the road to the future is being brought to market in 2025: in the future, it will be possible to operate the eCitaro fuel cell, equipped with a fuel cell as a range extender, with hydrogen as the only energy source in the new “H2 mode”, which can be used in certain operating scenarios. The battery and fuel cell are also the energy source for the drive system in this operating strategy. However, external charging of the battery on the mains during stationary phases is no longer necessary in H2 mode, as it is charged by the fuel cell while driving.
From 2026, all Mercedes-Benz eCitaro variants will also be equipped with new NMC4 batteries, which will enable even more capacity, higher ranges and longer service life even with regular quick charging processes with up to 300 kW charging capacity.
Innovative thermal management clearly reduces energy consumption
The battery capacity alone says too little about the performance and range of a battery-electric or hydrogen-powered city bus – the true benchmark is energy consumption, which is very strongly influenced by the cooling and heating of the interior. From the outset, the innovative thermal management system of the eCitaro reduced the energy required for heating, ventilation and air conditioning by around 40 percent compared to the internal combustion engine Citaro, thus laying the foundations to give the eCitaro a practical range. For example, the high-voltage batteries are tempered to the ideal temperature. The passenger compartment is heated by a heat pump, saving energy. This results in a minimum of energy consumption and a maximum of range as well as performance, service life and charging capacity of the batteries.
Exemplary safety equipment
The cockpit of all eCitaro variants almost entirely corresponds to the familiar appearance of the Citaro and does not require any adjustment, allowing quick driver changeovers. Seat layout, visibility, ergonomics and climate control are exemplary. Only the instrumentation has been adapted: a power meter replaces the rev counter. In the instrument panel of the eCitaro fuel cell and the eCitaro G fuel cell, another display provides important information on the fill level of the hydrogen tanks in percent. The comfortable and safe suspension, with roll and pitch control and the electrohydraulic steering system “intelligent eco steering”, has earned a lot of recognition.
A focus on safety includes high-voltage technology with crash-proof battery modules and well-protected high-voltage cables. The batteries are tested and certified in accordance with the hazardous goods regulations. The battery systems are very safe thanks to tests of the cell, cell module, battery pack and the battery groups in the vehicle.
The active safety of the eCitaro is unsurpassed. All models are equipped with a wide range of assistance systems as standard. The standard equipment includes the second-generation radar-based Sideguard Assist, Frontguard Assist and a reversing camera. The intelligent Traffic Sign Assist speed assistant warns when the permissible speed is exceeded. The Tyre Pressure Monitoring system (TPM), Attention Assist and an interface for the use of alcohol testers for the driver’s workplace have also been adopted as standard equipment on the eCitaro. High-performance particle filters with an antiviral functional layer to protect against infection are also installed as standard in the air conditioning system.
An optional 360° camera system is available for the solo buses and a 270° camera system for the articulated buses, which enables an all-round view of the surroundings. The Preventive Brake Assist 2 emergency braking assistant and the MirrorCam camera system instead of the exterior mirrors are also optionally available.
Flexible charging technology with charging plug, charging rails and pantograph
The next development steps to follow at short intervals had already been outlined at the introduction of the eCitaro. So, besides depot charging, it wasn’t long before there were solutions for opportunity charging for the eCitaro. In the current variants, the charging technology is modular via charging plug with four different charging socket positions. The eCitaro is also available with a pantograph or charging rails. In this case, too, a charging socket is always installed on the vehicle.
Electromobility and digitalisation from a single source
At Daimler Buses, electromobility, including the planning and implementation of the charging infrastructure, is available from a single source ex works, along with the appropriate digital services. Thanks to the new Digital Services Package, all new electric buses are on the road with digital services right from the start.
SOURCE: Daimler Truck
