Further success for the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro: public transport provider ÜSTRA from Hanover today concluded a framework agreement for 48 units of the fully electric city bus.

The first four already ordered eCitaro buses will be delivered this year already. All of the eCitaro models in this large order are equipped with pantographs for intermediary charging. The agreement is for 30 rigid buses and 18 eCitaro G articulated buses.

The eCitaro is a major component of the electric bus campaign at ÜSTRA

“ÜSTRA is rapidly working towards achieving emission-free mobility. We are proud that the eCitaro will be such an important component of their electric bus campaign,” explains Ulrich Bastert, Head of Marketing, Sales and Customer Services at Daimler Buses at today’s ceremonial signing in Hanover. “In Daimler, we are pleased to have found an experienced manufacturer of electric buses, which, by delivering 48 eCitaro buses, will be the basis of our ambitious aim to completely electrify Hanover’s public transport by 2023,” explains Denise Hain, Member of the ÜSTRA Board of Management for Operations and Personnel.

Pantograph for intermediary charging; excellent safety equipment

The low-floor city buses each feature ten high-voltage battery packs with a total capacity of 243 kWh. They additionally also feature a roof-mounted pantograph for the purpose of intermediary charging at the terminus of the respective lines.

The Mercedes-Benz city buses which ÜSTRA has ordered are packed with some excellent safety equipment. One such example is the Preventive Brake Assist active braking assistance system. Sideguard Assist on the eCitaro warns the driver when turning off the current road if pedestrians or cyclists are detected on the side of the vehicle to which the turn is taking place. Passengers benefit from a cassette ramp to assist entry for passengers with reduced mobility, not to mention USB sockets for charging their mobile devices and an infotainment system with TFT displays.

Hanover’s ÜSTRA transport provider operates 331 metros, 141 buses and four electrically-powered ferries for public transport purposes in the beating heart of Lower Saxony that is Hanover. The buses cover 38 lines and a total of 672 stops, which amounts to an annual mileage of around twelve million kilometres. The company is putting its trust in emission-free mobility and, in the next five years, aims to completely make the change to electrically-powered vehicles in the city centre. This would allow around 3,800 tonnes of CO 2 emissions to be saved on an annual basis. The investment required for this future-oriented electric bus campaign is around 53 million euros.

By concluding this framework agreement of up to 48 eCitaro and eCitaro G models, Mercedes-Benz and ÜSTRA will be continuing their collaboration in the domain of highly interesting city bus projects. In line with the Expo 2000 world fair in Hanover 20 years ago, Mercedes-Benz delivered around 100 Citaro buses of the first generation to ÜSTRA which sported a very unique design. Until 2016, they were an unmistakeable part of Hanover’s cityscape.