Mercedes eCitaro Is An Electric, Locally Emission-Free City Bus

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its eCitaro all-electric city bus, the company’s eco-friendly answer to the ever-growing need for mobility in metropolises, large cities, and small towns. The bus is taking the next step in transportation of crowded areas from “a low-emission bus to locally emission-free bus.”

The electric machine is based on the world’s best-selling city bus with more than 50,000 deliveries worldwide, the Citaro. The two share an identical chassis, but the eCitaro features a redesigned body. This is best seen at the front, where the brand’s logo is even larger now (11 inches/28 cm in diameter) and is combined with three-dimensional decorative trim and glossy surfaces. At the back, the taillights and bumper are adopted from the standard Citaro.

The system’s peak output is 335 horsepower (250 kilowatts) and 715 pound-feet (970 Newton-meters of torque), available right from the start. The lithium-ion battery is split between up to ten modules, each supplying about 25 kWh, for a total capacity of approximately 243 kWh. These modules are mounted in the rear of the bus, as well as in its roof.

Depending on the specification, the bus uses six, eight, or ten battery modules. With the maximum of ten modules, the eCitaro weighs 13.44 tonnes and has a payload of more than six tonnes, or roughly 85-90 passengers. Recharging of the batteries is possible via a socket for a Combo-2-plug, positioned above the front wheel arch on the right-hand side of the vehicle.

Celebrating its world public premiere in September at the IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hanover, the eCitaro will go into production by the end of the year.