Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro K: when things get tight.

Narrow alleys, timbered facades with blooming geraniums, cobblestone squares: the old town of Strasbourg’s Eurometropolis is almost like a picture book in the soft light of the early morning. It’s hard to believe that scheduled-service buses have been driving through these lanes for almost 100 years now, connecting the city centre with the residential and office districts of the 250,000-inhabitant city. While spacious boulevards mark the main axes, the winding streets of the historic old town of “Grande Île” present a real challenge for larger vehicles. So the best terrain to test the capabilities of the compact Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro K.

While the bus initially follows the wide boulevards of city bus line 10, there is still relaxed concentration in the driver’s seat. The driver is already familiar with the cockpit and operating concept from the other vehicles in the Citaro family. Control elements, ergonomically arranged switches, the clear instrument display with speedometer, power meter and battery charge level display are identical in all three eCitaro models. The eCitaro K also differs only slightly from the 12‑metre‑long eCitaro. Up to six NMC4 batteries each with a capacity of 111 kWh allow the short low‑floor bus to travel up to 600 kilometres without recharging – almost silently and locally CO2‑free. Passengers can get in and out quickly via two or three doors. The friendly, bright interior can accommodate up to 84 passengers, just four fewer than the 12‑metre counterpart. The wheelbase makes all the difference. At 4.40 metres, it measures exactly 1.50 metres less than its big brother. The result is a turning circle of just 17.28 metres – almost four metres less than in the eCitaro.

The eCitaro K proves its unique manoeuvrability shortly after entering the old town via the Pont de la Poste bridge. From the already narrow Rue des Récollets, you turn right to the narrower Rue Brûlée. A tricky task? Yes, but mastered effortlessly thanks to the small turning circle – in one go. Passing Hôtel de Ville, the historic town hall, the route leads through further narrow alleys and picturesque coastal roads. More than once, the driver learns to appreciate the helpful assistance systems on board the eCitaro K. Cyclist in blind spot from right? Sideguard Assist 2 makes a noise. A pedestrian is still swishing quickly over the road when moving off at the green traffic light? Frontguard Assist intervenes helpfully. Is a van blocking the already tight bend? The bird’s‑eye view of the 360‑degree camera system helps the driver to manoeuvre the eCitaro K around the obstacle without scratches.

While the route leads past the exhibition halls to the music and congress hall, the passengers enjoy the ride comfort of the eCitaro K. Whether it’s swift cornering, unusual bumps in the ground or braking at traffic lights – the passengers notice astonishingly little of all of this. This is ensured by the standard roll and pitch control as well as the electronically controlled damping specifically tuned to the short wheelbase and the resulting altered weight distribution in the vehicle. This means that the eCitaro K doesn't just show what it can do in narrow, angular alleys. On its journey through Strasbourg, it also impresses on large boulevards – with the manoeuvrability of a midi bus, the comfort of a large city bus, the safety of the entire eCitaro family and, last but not least, the low noise emissions and CO2‑free drive of a fully electric bus.