From the small to the large
Omnibus Magazine

From the small to the large

E-mobility consultation.

The changeover to electromobility is a challenge. Experts from Daimler Buses working in Christian Rudigier’s team of fer their support through multi-layered strategies.

“We consult wherever our customers have the need,” explains Christian Rudigier. He is the head of the “eMobility System Design & Consulting” team at Daimler Buses. Daimler Buses created the team at the same time as it introduced the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro. Its task is as complex and challenging as e-mobility itself.

It involves giving practical advice and support to those switching to electric solutions. The number of transport companies the mobility experts have consulted for is now in the triple digits. But Christian Rudigier’s team acts in many different ways: sometimes visibly for the customer, sometimes in the background as support for the sales organisation.

Christian Rudigier: “E-mobility presents new challenges for everyone involved.”

“We consult wherever our customers have the need.”

Christian Rudigier
Transport operations deliver data; Christian Rudigier says what is possible.

Own simulation program: Transport operations deliver data; Christian Rudigier says what is possible.

Transport operations deliver data; Christian Rudigier says what is possible.

The starting position of transport companies is often very different. There are companies that also run rail services and are thus very experienced with electric motors and power supplies. Others are entering into unfamiliar territory and have only worked with internal combustion engines before. And there are private companies that have won a tender for electric buses but don’t have their own infrastructure.

There’s one strategy that works for none of the above: just electrifying existing diesel routes. The consultants take the opposite approach. Rudigier: “Together with the client, we work out where it makes sense to electrify. We start with lines and vehicles.” Of course, he and his colleagues cannot be present at every discussion. But they give support to multipliers in the individual European markets who look after the regional sales teams.

The consultants provide all of them with a simulation program, developed in-house, for feasibility analyses. The companies provide data for individual lines on the turn-out times for their buses and coaches, distances between stops, speeds and height profiles as necessary. The program turns these entries into a load profile for the eCitaro. If electrification is critical, the consultants get involved in the background, offering detailed calculations and consideration of intermediate charging or vehicle configuration.

“We recommend courses of action from the small things to the large in order to develop step-by-step goals for the entire fleet.”

Christian Rudigier

“We recommend courses of action from the small things to the large in order to develop step-by-step goals for the entire fleet,” Rudigier explains. In doing so, the range of participants also increases. If at the start only the transport companies are involved, later, local energy suppliers and the municipal administration come into play. This is when matters such as the power connection required for the depot or the location of charging stations on the lines are addressed. To do so, suitable specialists in garage planning, charging infrastructure and OMNIplus ON are brought in as needed.

The consultants are based in Mannheim and Neu-Ulm and have close connections with the development staff at Daimler Buses. This helps with questions such as the power of future variants such as the eCitaro with a fuel cell as a range extender. One thing is important: “Many people are surprised how many lines can already be taken over by the eCitaro. But we are staying conservative in what we promise,” Rudigier emphasises, “and we tell it how it is if somebody’s wishes cannot be fulfilled.”

Experience is a vital aid here. Rudigier is an automotive engineer himself. Both during his studies and later when working on the fuel-cell drive Citaro and BlueTec Hybrid, he has dealt with electric drives. The team includes electrical engineers as well. “E-mobility presents new challenges for everyone involved,” Christian Rudigier asserts. So it’s a good thing that the experts from eMobility System Design & Consulting are there to help.

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