The eCitaro is running scheduled routes for the first operators – the service is already there. Alongside support and a spare parts service, the eMobility service concept includes also includes a prototype garage and a qualification programme for high-voltage technology. One of the main points is maximum safety.

Electromobility means rethinking local public transport; that relates to servicing too. It faces completely new challenges with electromobility. To put it briefly: high-voltage technology instead of changing oil. Traditional jobs surrounding the combustion engine, exhaust gas treatment and the automatic gearbox are omitted, and new ones are added. The job description of the employees in the garage, their technical equipment and operational procedures are changing. At the same time, the vehicle technology is new. It is reassuring therefore that the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro comes with a five-year guarantee for the high-voltage components as standard. The overall package also includes maintenance and repairs as well as any necessary replacements for components in the high-voltage system.

The OMNIplus service brand meets the challenges with its specially developed eMobility service concept. It is composed of single, coordinated modules. Transport operators can individually match modules from it. That starts with classic support for the customer’s garage, continues with garage activities in conjunction with Service Contracts in competence centres and ends with bus depot management. Here, OMNIplus employees take on defined jobs through to the all-round service of the vehicles directly at the customer’s garage.

OMNIplus has developed tailor-made eService Contracts for the eCitaro. The eBasic contract covers repairs to the high-voltage system and battery, working materials apart from the battery charge and all necessary maintenance work on the overall vehicle according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Over and above this, the ePremium Service Contract covers repairs to the overall vehicle including maintenance and wear as well as vehicle-related costs in case of a breakdown. ePremium thus offers a convenient, all-round package for switching to an electric bus fleet. The benefit of the Service Contracts are maximum availability, calculable costs and the highest value retention. Operators of the eCitaro can take out one of the two Service Contracts at any time, with the duration and scope being individually defined – for instance, by add-on packages such as statutory inspections.

Alongside all this, the spare parts warehouse is already stocked. Because – as is the case with all Mercedes-Benz buses – when the eCitaro comes, the OMNIplus service is already there.

OMNIplus supports companies with the excellently fitted OMNIplus prototype garage in the Dortmund training centre. There, they can find out how a garage for electric buses is equipped to start with. Dortmund, meanwhile, is much more than an exhibition garage: intensive training takes place there, as only well-prepared employees are allowed to enter a garage with electric vehicles due to statutory regulations, never mind work with high-voltage technology.

A look behind the scenes opens up a new perspective on the world of electromobility – away from common discussions about range or battery sizes.

Dortmund Training Centre, Gate 31a: behind an inconspicuous roller shutter hides the unique OMNIplus prototype garage. There, fitters learn to handle the high-voltage technology on the eCitaro. After all, the electric power involved goes up to a substantial 750 volts. That is more than three times the voltage of a household socket.

Kay Volmer is a trained electrical engineer and motor vehicle electrician, an experienced technical trainer and responsible for high-voltage safety at OMNIplus. He knows the components on the eCitaro and its safety concept down to the last detail. He points to the emergency off-switch in the cockpit and in the compartment for the charging socket: “This is used to disconnect the bus from the power in an emergency in less than a second.” Volmer explains the emergency function that ensures that the eCitaro can still roll away from a crossroads or rail crossing in the event of a problem in the high-voltage system; he also mentions the batteries and cables fitted to withstand a crash. He points out the rescue card with QR code on board the Citaro. It leads to the rescue guide for buses with the three-pointed star, to which a chapter has been added especially for the eCitaro.

Kay Volmer is a walking e-lexicon. He also knows about the ECE R100 regulation for electric road vehicles – according to which, battery casings must withstand a fire for 15 minutes. “The battery in the eCitaro was still working in the fire after a longer time than required,” stresses Volmer not without pride. The batteries are tested and certified under hazardous materials regulations. With tests on the cell, cell module, battery pack and the battery groups in the vehicle, the battery systems are tested fourfold and extremely safe.

The prototype garage is the training site for OMNIplus fitters and transport operators. The basis is a modular training system, in each case tailored to the regulations in the individual European countries. Trained high-voltage country coordinators help to pass on the information to the markets. This involves tools, processes and procedures – all aspects surrounding high-voltage safety.

OMNIplus Euro trainers lead the training courses. The regulations for high-voltage safety are strict. A list of operating instructions in the garage defines who is allowed to do which jobs and advises about dangers. Nobody can simply walk into a hangar with an electric bus, unless they have first been given precise instructions. The training content for the fitters is much more extensive. In the basic module, they qualify as an expert for high-voltage systems. Anyone then passing the eCitaro module can completely repair the electric bus. After a further module, specialists are even allowed to assess damaged batteries and repair them.

Meanwhile, transport companies can also leave these jobs to the OMNIplus specialists. They take care of maintenance and repairs on request, even in the customer’s garage. Kay Volmer demonstrates the equipment – something like a storage box for battery modules with integrated fire extinguisher. “Although a lithium-ion battery does not burn in the conventional sense, the insurance companies call for protective measures,” explains Volmer. “This box spares the operators from needing a sprinkler system in the hangar.” Just one of many pragmatic ideas from Dortmund.

After being trained, engineers can even replace worn-out cell modules in the batteries. Thermal imaging cameras are used to detect faulty modules from the outside. For safety, the employees wear insulated gloves, protective clothing and a helmet with visor – that protects them from the risk of an arc flash in the event of a short circuit. When working on live batteries, the station is screened off with a barrier tape.

New modules are brought exactly to their voltage in a charging box using a CAN bus link with the battery. From the serial number to the position of the cell module, everything is diligently documented. Volmer also gives recommendations for mobile charging devices for the eCitaro in the garage. For this, he presents a suitable crane cross-beam and a trolley for transporting batteries – after all, a battery like this weighs around 220 kilograms.

The mobile roof work platform is outstanding in every respect. Fitters use it to climb on the roof of the eCitaro, secured all round by railings and sliding cassettes as a positive connection to the bus. Jetties take on tool trolleys or a mobile testing device. Even an eCitaro goes in for a service once a year. Although there is no need to change the engine oil, the equipotential bonding and insulation of the electric bus are measured at defined places, for example.

On leaving from Gate 31a, Kay Volmer says confidently: “Others only supply buses.” At Mercedes-Benz and OMNIplus, you also get a comprehensive service for the eCitaro.