{"id":392,"date":"2025-06-30T18:06:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T16:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/2025\/06\/30\/more-than-2500-ecitaro-buses-now-operate-across-europe\/"},"modified":"2025-06-30T20:42:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T18:42:04","slug":"more-than-2500-ecitaro-buses-now-operate-across-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/2025\/06\/30\/more-than-2500-ecitaro-buses-now-operate-across-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"More than 2,500 eCitaro buses now operate across Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The series production of Daimler Buses’ urban electric bus, the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, has reached a new milestone, with over 2,500 units manufactured since production began at the end of 2018 at the company’s Mannheim plant and the Ligny-en-Barrois site in France. Various versions of the eCitaro have already been deployed in numerous European cities, including Stuttgart, Hamburg, Bonn, Dresden, Bremen, Wiesbaden, Nuremberg, and Mannheim. Additionally, transport companies in Belgium, the UK, France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and several in Hungary are among the customers. Currently, 60 units are operating in Hungary, with 40 units with Vol\u00e1n<\/a>, 12 with DKV<\/a>, and an additional eight with T\u00fcke Busz<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The eCitaro is based on the traditional diesel-powered design of the second generation Mercedes-Benz Citaro introduced in 1997<\/a>, but with a modern electric drive system replacing the internal combustion engine, and several design modifications. Production of the model family began in 2018 with the 12.14-meter-long solo version, initially available with Akasol batteries with a total capacity of up to 243 kWh. Current series now use Akasol’s third-generation lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC3) battery modules, configured in four to six units, with a total capacity of up to 588 kWh. The range now includes the compact, recently introduced 10.63-meter-long eCitaro K<\/a>, which uses the same battery technology. Both solo versions are available in two- or three-door configurations.<\/p>\n

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One of the prototype units back in 2018<\/p><\/div>\n

The model family was expanded in 2020 with the 18.13-meter-long articulated eCitaro G<\/a>, which can currently be equipped with at least four and up to seven NMC3 battery modules, with the latter configuration offering a total capacity of up to 686 kWh. In 2023, the range was further expanded with fuel cell variants<\/a>; the eCitaro and eCitaro G “fuel cell” versions feature high-pressure hydrogen tanks on the roof, and the drive system is supplemented by a 60 kW Toyota fuel cell, which serves as a range extender. However, the vehicles’ drive remains battery-based, with the electricity generated by the fuel cell during operation primarily used to charge the batteries. The solo version of the eCitaro fuel cell can be equipped with a three-module battery pack with a total capacity of 294 kWh, while the articulated version can be ordered with three or four units, offering a maximum energy storage capacity of 392 kWh.<\/p>\n

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The battery-powered…<\/p><\/div>\n

From 2025, a new operational mode will be available, allowing the fuel cell variants to operate exclusively on hydrogen in certain operational conditions, known as “H2 mode”<\/a>. In this operational strategy, all the electricity needed for the vehicle’s drive is provided by the fuel cell, which charges the onboard batteries while driving. As a result, the vehicles can be operated continuously without the need for external charging infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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… and the range-extending fuel cell variant<\/p><\/div>\n

The development of the drive system is also supported by a technological shift<\/a> that will be realized from 2026 with the introduction of NMC4, next-generation batteries from BMZ. Thanks to the new cell chemistry, energy density will increase by nearly 6%, allowing a single battery pack to store 111 kWh of energy instead of the previous 98 kWh. Additionally, the efficiency of energy use will improve, meaning a greater proportion of the electricity stored in the battery will be effectively utilized for driving. For the shorter K and standard solo versions, battery packs with four to six modules can be installed, resulting in a total energy storage capacity ranging from 444 to 666 kWh. In the case of the articulated eCitaro G, the number of battery modules can be expanded to seven, offering a maximum capacity of 777 kWh. The new cell technology also allows for a longer cycle life and fast charging with up to 300 kW, further enhancing the vehicles’ operability and adaptability to charging infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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According to the manufacturer, the range of electric and fuel cell buses is not solely determined by battery capacity, but energy consumption also plays a crucial role, primarily influenced by the performance requirements of the vehicle’s climate control system. The thermal management system developed for the eCitaro family \u2013 according to Daimler Buses \u2013 reduces the energy required for heating, ventilation, and cooling the passenger compartment by about 40% compared to the internal combustion engine Citaro. Active temperature regulation of the high-voltage batteries and the heat pump cabin heating contribute to optimizing the vehicles’ range, battery life, and charging performance.<\/p>\n

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From the outset, the development of the model family placed great emphasis on the proper protection of high-voltage systems in terms of safety technology. The batteries are housed in collision-proof enclosures, and the high-voltage wiring is made with enhanced insulation and mechanical protection. The cells, modules, battery packs, and the entire energy storage system comply with the ADR regulations for the transport of dangerous goods, having been tested and certified accordingly.<\/p>\n

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The shortest member of the family, the eCitaro K<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition to basic structural protection, the safety equipment of the eCitaro has been gradually expanded over the years. The safety level of the model has significantly improved compared to early series, partly due to changes in the EU regulatory environment. As a result, several advanced driver assistance systems are now standard. These include the second-generation radar-based Sideguard Assist blind spot monitoring, the Frontguard Assist system that detects objects crossing in front, and the reversing camera. Also standard are the Traffic Sign Assist for speed limit warnings, the Tire Pressure Monitoring system (TPM), the Attention Assist for driver alertness, and the preparation for an alcohol interlock device.<\/p>\n

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Additionally, as part of the ongoing development of the safety system, new options have also been introduced. A 360\u00b0 camera system is available for solo versions, and a 270\u00b0 system for articulated types, providing comprehensive visual monitoring around the vehicle. Optional features include the Preventive Brake Assist 2 emergency braking system and the MirrorCam camera system that replaces external rearview mirrors.<\/p>\n

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Although the technical system of the model has undergone significant development in several areas over the past years, the structural design of the eCitaro still bears the legacy of its internal combustion engine predecessor. Mercedes-Benz engineers aimed to utilize as many existing structural elements as possible in the eCitaro to maintain manufacturability and existing production infrastructure \u2013 a consequence of which is that the model still retains the engine tower design. This layout is now rare among modern electric buses, as most manufacturers have either completely abandoned this solution or launched new urban models with a purely electric design without an engine tower. Additionally, a central traction motor drive is not currently available for the eCitaro, which would allow for simpler design, cheaper maintenance, and lower weight. The model is currently only available with the ZF AxTrax AVE type quasi-wheel hub motor portal axle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The series production of Daimler Buses’ urban electric bus, the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, has reached a new milestone, with over 2,500 units manufactured since production began at the end of 2018 at the company’s Mannheim plant and the Ligny-en-Barrois site in France. Various versions of the eCitaro have already been deployed in numerous European cities, including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":393,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8],"tags":[320,62,276,321,322,323,324,147,109,287,325,326,281,327,67],"class_list":["post-392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-outlook","tag-320","tag-articulated","tag-daimler-buses","tag-ecitaro","tag-ecitaro-fuel-cell","tag-ecitaro-g","tag-ecitaro-k","tag-fuel-cell","tag-green-transition","tag-h2","tag-ligny-en-barrois","tag-mannheim","tag-mercedes-benz","tag-series-production","tag-solo"],"acf":{"mbi_related_box_multiple":"","mbi_gallery_enabled":false,"mbi_gallery_manual_order":"Kompakt","mbi_gallery_source":"Ehhez a cikkhez felt\u00f6lt\u00f6tt k\u00e9pek","mbi_gallery_images":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=392"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":394,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions\/394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}