By 2030, Daimler Buses intends to offer zero-emission cars in all segments (both battery and hydrogen-powered).
Beginning in 2023, the Mercedes eCitaro will also be available with a range extender powered by a hydrogen-based fuel cell. In 2025, the first fully electric intercity bus will be introduced.
Toyota supplied the eCitaro Range Extender’s fuel cell, which is in its second version. It is a heavy-duty unit capable of producing up to 60 kW.
Daimler Buses has stated that it will not invest in Euro VII in Class I buses and anticipates that e-buses will account for 75% of public transport in the EU by 2030.
In 2030, Daimler Buses will be the only zero-emission city buses in Europe
Along with developing its CO2-neutral vehicle line, Daimler Buses is expanding its service capabilities as a general contractor for customers’ comprehensive electric infrastructure. This was announced today during a Daimler Buses event conducted at the manufacturer’s Mannheim facility by Till Oberwörder, Head of Daimler Buses. Additionally, Martin Daum, Chairman of Daimler Truck’s Board of Management, and Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, spoke.
Daimler Truck’s electrification strategy will initially focus on the company’s core markets in Europe and Latin America. As previously announced, by 2039, only locally CO2-neutral new vehicles will be marketed in Europe’s core market. By 2030, solely zero-emission city buses will be sold.
In 2025, Daimler will introduce an intercity electric bus
Daimler Buses intends to introduce the world’s first all-electric intercity bus in 2025 and coaches powered by hydrogen fuel cells by the end of this decade. In keeping with its parent company Daimler Truck’s dual-track approach, Daimler Buses is focused on battery-electric and hydrogen-based technologies — the corporation argues this is the only way to offer bespoke zero-emission solutions for its customers’ different needs.
Concentrate on the eCitaro equipped with a fuel cell range extender
The eCitaro Range Extender is still unmistakably a city bus. The driving system will continue to be based on the extremely powerful battery, with the fuel cell serving solely as a range extender and not as the primary source of energy. Thus, the vehicle is a hybrid electric bus that utilizes both power sources. At a pressure of 350 bar, hydrogen is used in its gaseous state.
Additionally, Daimler Buses will provide a new generation of high-performance batteries for the eCitaro starting in late 2022. The high-energy lithium-ion batteries double the capacity of each battery cell while maintaining the same weight, enabling consistent ranges of approximately 280 kilometers (solo bus). According to the organization, the batteries will be utilized in the eCitaro, the eCitaro Range Extender, and the recently introduced all-electric chassis eO500U from Brazil.
Till Oberwörder, CEO of Daimler Buses, stated, “As the world’s largest bus manufacturer, our mission is clear: We want to contribute to combating climate change and be a catalyst for the necessary changes in transportation.” To this aim, we are pursuing a clear electrification plan and are ramping up manufacture of buses equipped with various powertrain technologies. We aspire to offer CO2-neutral powertrains in each of our categories in our key markets by 2030 and thus make a clear commitment: starting in 2030, we will exclusively offer CO2-neutral new vehicles in Europe’s city bus segment and will not invest in Euro VII technology. Our development efforts are totally focused on the zero-emission, all-electric eCitaro.”
Oberwörder remarked, “We approach electrification holistically, going well beyond the car itself. We provide electric mobility to our customers on a ‘turnkey’ basis, which means we provide all the modules necessary to operate an electric bus service: we supply the buses, develop the necessary infrastructure and charge management, manage the depot conversion, and train the employees. Our objective is for electromobility to become a daily occurrence in the bus industry.”
Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Dr. Volker Wissing: “In order to meet our climate goals, we need more zero-emission automobiles.” We are actively assisting public transportation providers in decarbonizing their fleets and providing the necessary infrastructure. A total of 1.25 billion euros has been set aside for this purpose. Our goal is to electrify every second city bus by 2030.”
Mercedes eCitaro is available as a complete system
Daimler Buses emphasizes that it provides a turnkey solution for the all-electric eCitaro, which includes project planning and consulting services for the smooth operation of an electric fleet, as well as the complete building of the power supply infrastructure. This also covers the associated construction measures, which are available turnkey if necessary. Transport firms can thus acquire a coordinated total solution from a single supplier, including bus, power, and charging infrastructure, as well as relevant software, digital services, employee training, and aftersales.
Charge management, in particular, is critical for the proper running of battery-electric buses on a daily basis. Here, Daimler Buses has expanded its range with strong fleet control software that is specifically adapted to the eCitaro’s charge management capabilities, as a result of a newly announced strategic agreement with IVU Traffic Technologies AG.
