Significantly lower fuel consumption with manageable additional costs – the Mercedes‑Benz Citaro hybrid is the hybrid bus that pays off. It was this feature that also impressed a jury of respected specialist publications from seven European countries, which awarded the Citaro Ü hybrid the Sustainable Bus Award 2019 for rural-service buses at the IAA International Commercial Vehicle Show. A host of criteria extending far beyond the topic of the environment played a role in making the selection: safety, comfort, noise emissions, recyclability of components and the general approach of the bus manufacturer to environmental friendliness all added up to a true sustainability prize. The special feature of the Citaro hybrid is that it combines environmental protection with economic efficiency to optimum effect. The hybrid component can be selected as an optional extra for a host of variants with diesel and gas engines and helps to reduce fuel consumption by up to 8.5 percent. Key components include an electric motor to support the combustion engine, primarily when moving off, high performance capacitors (supercaps) for short-term energy storage and innovative 48 V technology.