Mercedes-Benz OM 936 h BlueEFFICIENCY Power engine, horizontal in-line six-cylinder engine, compliant with Euro VI standard, 7.7 l displacement. Output: 220 kW (299 hp). The torque delivered is 1200 Nm. The engine features a common-rail injection system. The injection pressure is generated by a high-pressure pump.

Mercedes-Benz OM 936 BlueEFFICIENCY Power engine, vertical six-cylinder in-line engine, Euro VI exhaust gas category with 7.7 litres displacement. Output: 260 kW (354 hp) at 2200 rpm. The corresponding torque is 1400 Nm. The engine features common-rail injection. The injection pressure is generated by a high-pressure pump.

Mercedes-Benz OM 470, BlueEFFICIENCY Power engine, Euro VI emissions category, vertical six-cylinder in-line engine with 10.7 litres displacement. Output: 265 kW (360 hp) at 1800 rpm. The engine's maximum torque level is 1700 Nm. It features Common Rail injection. The injection pressure is generated by the X-PULSE injection system with pressure booster in the injector.

What is better for transport companies the environment: independent hybrid bus models or economical hybrid technology available as optional equipment?

Mercedes-Benz has opted for an innovative hybrid module which is a world first, allowing hybrid technology to be selected as optional equipment for a broad range of buses and coaches with the OM 936 diesel and M 936 natural-gas engines. Instead of expensive stand-alone hybrid buses, numerous models benefit from an inexpensive and efficient hybrid technology. The efficient and compact hybrid module was specially developed for the demands of regular-service buses in towns and busy urban areas. It assists the consumption-optimised diesel and natural-gas engines of our urban buses and thus stands for economy and sustainability.

The implementation of our hybrid module is unproblematic both for drivers and workshops as the selection of the "Hybrid module" optional extra results in only minimal modifications to the basic vehicle. That also ensures that our hybrid technology is particularly affordable in terms of procurement. The module achieves a fuel saving of as much as 8.5 %, depending on the operational route and vehicle version. Thus the additional costs can be compensated for within the space of just a few years; the environment, meanwhile, benefits from the new technology right from the outset.

The compact hybrid system makes your bus a highly economical and ecological all-rounder. And that means that you have the perfect combination between economy and sustainability.

The hybrid module is designed to be both simple and robust: a disc-shaped electric motor is integrated in the drivetrain between the engine and the transmission. Two batteries are installed on the roof. Plus, there is also the voltage converter and an intelligent pulling-away management system with adapted engine control. The electric motor and voltage converter have their own coolant circuit.

In line with this, there is one important factor to bear in mind: just like the Mercedes-Benz passenger cars equipped with a hybrid drive, our hybrid module technology uses a separate 48-volt electrical system. That means that we completely do away with a complex high-voltage system and the associated safety requirements which such a system requires.

The technology operates as simply as it is designed: if the bus drives is coasting or braking, the electric motor works as a generator and creates electricity without using fuel to do so. The power generated in this way is stored as electrical energy. In higher load situations, such as when pulling away, so-called boost phases, the electric motor assists the diesel or gas engine with additional torque by calling on the energy stored in the supercaps. This relieves strain on the combustion engine and thus also means lower fuel consumption. The motors used in the hybrid module correspond to the output values of the combustion engines. The torque generated by the electric motor in the boost phase is used entirely for saving fuel. If sufficient energy is stored in the supercaps, the electric motor can also provide assistance during idling and thus also improves the efficiency of the combustion engine.