News 2021
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News 2021

Stuttgart / Gdynia, June 2021

  • First electric order for Daimler Buses from Poland: 24 units of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro for the port city of Gdynia in the Gulf of Gdańsk.
  • Mirko Sgodda, Head of Marketing, Sales & Customer Services at Daimler Buses: "We're particularly pleased about the first order from Poland for the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro as Poland is one of our key markets in Eastern Europe."
  • Artur Konarski, Managing Director of Daimler Buses in Poland adds: "The first order for the fully electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro is a particularly special moment for our Polish sales organization. In the past year, we were the market leader in Poland for diesel-powered urban buses. Now we're really pleased to be in position to deliver an order of 24 locally emission-free vehicles with an electric drive and that we're making a contribution to sustainable public transport of the future in Poland."
  • The vehicles are equipped with the second-generation lithium-ion batteries for a high range, not to mention assistance systems which further enhance safety.

Daimler Buses has received its first order for fully electric city buses in Poland. The planned order is made up of eight articulated buses and 16 solo buses. They are expected to be delivered this year. The locally emission-free urban buses will be operated in the port city of Gdynia in the Gulf of Gdańsk by the Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Autobusowej Sp. z o.o. (PKA Gdynia) transport company.

"We're particularly pleased about the first order from Poland for the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro as Poland is one of our key markets in Eastern Europe," explains Mirko Sgodda, Head of Marketing, Sales & Customer Services at Daimler Buses. Artur Konarski, Managing Director of the local Daimler Buses organization adds: "In the past year, we were the market leader in Poland for conventionally-powered urban buses. Now we're really pleased to be in position to deliver an order of 24 locally emission-free vehicles with an electric drive and that we're making a contribution to sustainable public transport in Poland." 

The fully electric city buses from Mercedes-Benz are characterized by the latest-generation lithium-ion batteries. They can be rapidly recharged either using a plug connection or a pantograph with a charging output of up to 300 kW. Besides the standard plug-in connection which is available, the eCitaro can also be charged using an additional plug-in connection at the rear of the vehicle. What's more, the buses also feature a pre-conditioning system. With this, the battery and passenger compartment are brought up to the appropriate temperature to ensure that the vehicle is already at the right temperature before it leaves the depot. The greatest possible efficiency is thus guaranteed and the energy consumption optimized. 

The city buses are still equipped with the latest driver assistance systems in order to increase safety for driver and passengers alike. Among the most striking of these systems is the automatic braking assistant Preventive Brake Assist and the turning aid Sideguard Assist. The connection of the buses to the Omniplus ON fleet management system ensures that the vehicle condition is continually monitored whilst also showing any recommendations for required servicing work. This helps ensure that the fleet remains operational.

Gdynia is a port city in Poland's Gulf of Gdańsk. In the Pomeranian Voivodeship, it forms the Tri-City metropolitan area together with biggest city Gdańsk and the smaller town Sopot. Today, Gdynia has around 250,000 inhabitants and is thus the twelfth biggest city in Poland. 

The transport network in Gdynia includes both buses and trolleybuses. The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro buses for Gdynia will be the first electric buses in the entire Tri-City metropolitan region.

Presented in 2018, the fully electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro is a locally emission-free and quiet city bus which is making a massive step in the direction of improving the quality of life in cities and metropolitan areas. Mercedes-Benz recently added a new member to the Citaro family in the form of the eCitaro G articulated bus. Mercedes-Benz supplies tailor-made city buses: the eCitaro is based on an extremely flexible modular concept for solo and articulated buses, as well as various battery and charging technologies.

16 June 2021

Rome-based transport company, Atac, will receive 100 Mercedes-Benz Citaro hybrid buses. The city buses are to be delivered in three lots between June and the autumn of this year. They are part of an ambitious investment programme to modernise the bus fleet of the transport company in Italy's capital. One of the company's goals is to significantly reduce pollutant emissions.

Stuttgart / Rome, June 2021

  • The Citaro hybrid reduces fuel consumption and emissions considerably
  • Ten-year service contract; Daimler Buses takes care of maintenance in the customer's workshop
  • Atac is one of Europe's largest municipal transport companies

Heinz Friedrich, CEO and President of EvoBus Italia: "We are delighted with this large-scale order from Rome, the Italian capital. We are supplying Atac with a city bus equipped with the most efficient and sustainable technology in the segment." The current large order signals the return of EvoBus Italia to the capital; the company has already supplied buses to Atac – 450 Citaro between 2001 and 2005.

The new vehicles are painted amaranth red and have a band that runs around the upper section of the bus bearing the wording "+ Bus x Rom + Bus x Rom" – which stands for "more buses for Rome". The solo buses for Atac are equipped with two passenger doors and are fully air-conditioned. A protective glass driver's cab door prevents close contact between the passengers and driver which protects the driver from infections. Both the air conditioning system and the air conditioner housing are fitted with anti-viral active filters. A CCTV system provides for safety onboard and a counting system records the number of passengers. The vehicles are also equipped with GPS surveillance and a telematics system assists fleet management.

When compared with conventional city buses with a combustion engine, the Citaro hybrid buses reduce fuel consumption and in turn emissions by up to 8.5 percent. A highly-efficient and compact hybrid module assists the efficient, low-emissions diesel engine. An electric motor converts energy into electricity when the vehicle is coasting or braking. It is stored in high-performance capacitors, so-called supercaps. The electric motor assists the combustion engine when the bus pulls away. The Citaro hybrid is also equipped with intelligent eco steering, an electrohydraulic steering system. It operates in a need-optimised way and likewise helps reduce fuel consumption in local city transport.

Atac plans to modernise ten percent of its city bus fleet annually. The emissions from the 100 Citaro hybrid buses are lower than those permitted by the current strict Euro VI emissions standard. The buses replace Euro-III vehicles which have been in operation for more than ten years. In addition to environmental conservation, Atac focuses on the safety and efficiency of its city buses. This is shown not just in the decision to buy the Citaro hybrid buses but also in a full-service contract for a ten-year period. As part of the contract Daimler Buses will be responsible for maintenance work on the buses, providing its own personnel in Atac's depot. Servicing will be guaranteed by Omniplus with its BusWorld Home in Monterotondo, only a few kilometres north of Rome.

Atac – which stands for Azienda per i Trasporti Autoferrotranviari del comune di Roma – is Italy's number one municipal transport company and one of the largest companies of its kind in Europe. In addition to the extensive bus network in Rome, Atac operates trams, three underground train lines and train routes in the suburbs. Vehicles depart from 320 final bus stops and stations and cover around 8500 stops. The company also operates car parks with space for around 70,000 vehicles. 

9 June 2021

Mercedes-Benz has received a large order for 54 fully electric eCitaro buses from Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB). The decision was made following a tender and intensive testing of several vehicles. The Swiss transport company wants to fully electrify its bus routes in just two steps by 2027. The eCitaro forms the basis of the first order. In all, it comprises 38 eCitaro rigid buses as well as 16 articulated eCitaro G buses. The vehicles will be delivered in the coming year.

The urban buses for Basel are both technically and visually equipped to top standards. Both the rigid and the articulated buses are equipped with ten battery groups each. They can be charged either via a charging connector or rapidly by means of a pantograph with a charging output of up to 300 kW. To ensure the greatest possible traction, the articulated buses feature a driven central axle in addition to the driven rear axle. With the turning assistant Sideguard Assist, the active braking assistant Preventive Brake Assist and the TPM tyre pressure monitor, BVB is also making a conscious decision for the highest level of safety. Equipped with either three (rigid buses) or four (articulated buses) swivelling-sliding doors, rapid boarding and alighting of passengers is guaranteed. 

Upon entering, passengers are welcomed by a friendly and functionally designed interior. Grab handles and handrails in stainless steel and brushed stainless steel, sidewalls trimmed with needle felt and leather-upholstered seats make for a tasteful atmosphere. In addition to the regular special-use space opposite the second door for wheelchairs and pushchairs, the articulated buses feature another special-use space in the rear vehicle section. These areas are equipped with comfortably upholstered areas to lean on in the standing area. With a number of TFT monitors, passengers remain both informed and entertained. To enable passengers to use their own devices, Wi-Fi and numerous USB connections are available.

Even the drivers at BVB benefit from a high level of comfort. The driver's cab is separated from the passenger area by means glazed partition with openings for speaking to passengers and handing out change. Cabs will also be equipped with a swivelling, heated and climatised seat with multiple adjustment options, including an electrically adjustable lumbar support. A CCTV system provides an overview of what's going on inside the bus, while a reversing camera assists the driver during manoeuvring.

Stuttgart / Basel, May 2021

  • Basel is using top-of-the-range technology and equipment
  • Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe: rapidly making the changeover to a locally emission-free fleet

With their dense route networks and rapid tact, Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe facilitates mobility not only for the city's inhabitants but also for those living in the greater Basel area – even connecting Basel with the neighbouring countries Germany and France. A total of 115 buses (of which the Citaro currently forms the backbone) serve 14 routes while 135 trams cover the company's nine tram lines. In all, the buses reach an annual mileage of more than six million kilometres.

Last year, Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe celebrated 125 years of existence. But instead of resting on its laurels, the company is especially forward-sighted and even intends to complete the changeover of its entire bus fleet to electric vehicles in just two steps. In doing so, it will be fulfilling the specifications of Basel's public transport legislation which requires fleets to be powered by 100 % renewable energy by the year 2027. Over the course of the coming year, the first 62 electric buses will be brought into operation, and of those, 54 will be eCitaro models. In 2027, an optional order of a further 64 buses will follow. As part of the changeover, the depot, garages and their infrastructure will be completely redeveloped. To recharge the vehicles, only electricity from renewable sources will be used. What's more, at the terminal bus stops of five longer routes, stations for intermediary charging will be built.

In accordance with calculations made by Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe, the annual CO2 saving resulting from this bus fleet conversion will be equivalent to that of around 3500 passenger cars running on combustion engines.

18 May 2021