Spain / Germany – Early this month, Daimler Truck AG of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Baden-Württemberg will debut its Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric bus with a Toyota fuel cell range extender*, at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Barcelona from the 4^th - 7^th of June. The Truck & Bus Builder team will be in attendance to bring you coverage of the launch as Mercedes began taking orders in October 2022, the company has finally moved into series production. The designers emphasised vehicle range (350km) with high passenger capacity (articulated version: 128 passengers) as the bus has been designed to operate on longer routes without having to stop and recharge intermittently. This is thanks to a battery capacity of up to 392kWh, powered by NMC 3 high-performance batteries, while the fuel cell serves as a hydrogen generator to extend the range.

From a safety standpoint, Daimler said that “the hydrogen tanks have already been tested for fire, impact and temperature resistance in accordance with the new UN ECE R 134 standard.” In addition, the new thermal management system has completed laboratory and practical tests in extremely hot and cold environments and the new components of the eCitaro fuel cell have successfully passed all tests. This is aimed at giving customers peace of mind when purchasing this product.