The contract for the fully electric and locally emission-free eCitaro solo buses for the public transport route network in Osnabrück was concluded following a Europe-wide tender. "We are delighted that the eCitaro electric bus partnership with SWO Mobil has now started. This order is another important step for us in the expansion of electrified mobility in local public transport in German and international cities," says Rüdiger Kappel, Head of Sales Public Transport Germany at Daimler Buses.

"In Daimler Buses, we have found a highly competent partner. With the new buses, we are increasing the proportion of electric buses in our fleet to 81 out of a total of 86 vehicles. This gives us an electric bus share of 94 per cent," emphasises André Kränzke, Managing Director of SWO Mobil.

The two-axle eCitaro solo buses now ordered by SWO Mobil are 12 metres long and have three entrance doors. Each of the 19 buses, which are painted in the red and white colours of SWO Mobil, has a maximum transport capacity of 69 passengers and is equipped with up to 30 seats and 39 standing places. A manually operated folding ramp at the rear entrance door facilitates the use of the buses for passengers with reduced mobility. The passenger compartment is equipped with numerous USB double charging sockets allowing for mobile devices to be charged.

An environmentally friendly CO2 air-conditioning system, which is operated with the R744 refrigerant, in combination with a CO2 heat pump ensures a pleasant climate on board. This air-conditioning system does not damage the ozone layer due to its extremely low global warming potential (GWP) of factor 1, and is also equipped with an active filter with antiviral function. The headlamps for low-beam driving light, high beam, cornering lights, daytime running lights and contour lights, as well as the perimeter lighting in the entrance, are designed using LED technology. A roll/pitch control system (WNR) is also installed in the vehicles.

Like all buses and coaches from Daimler Buses in Europe, the 19 new eCitaro solo buses in Osnabrück will also fulfil the requirements of the General Safety Regulation (GSR) that will apply throughout Europe as from July 2024. They are provided with a large number of powerful assistance systems such as Sideguard Assist 2 and the completely new Frontguard Assist, which together form a complete warning system that warns of obstacles and people at the sides and in front of the bus.

Other features include the Attention Assist (AtAs) system, the TPM (Tyre Pressure Monitoring) system and the electrohydraulic intelligent eco steering system. The buses are also equipped with the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) and Traffic Sign Assist, which warns the driver if the maximum permissible speed is being exceeded.

The total capacity of the five 98.3 kWh battery packs installed on each of the buses amounts to 491.5 kWh and enables them to cover an operating range of around 270 kilometres, which is more than sufficient for a regular-service route. The batteries are charged via depot charging at the depot of Stadtwerke Osnabrück.

Osnabrück is regarded as a pioneer nationwide in the transition to electrically powered local public transport: according to the German E-Bus Radar, Osnabrück is one of the top 20 e-bus cities in Germany. By switching from diesel to electric buses, SWO Mobil has been operating the regular-service route network on the main axes leading into the city centre with the Metrobus lines M1 to M5 in fully electric mode already since the beginning of 2022.