Listening to customers and implementing the individually suitable charging infrastructure solution is the recipe for success with which Daimler Buses supports its customers’ transitions from diesel-powered to electric buses. Schlienz-Tours, in particular, is an example of how medium-sized customers in particular benefit from the expertise provided by the eMobility experts at Daimler Buses Solutions.

While with diesel-powered buses, you can simply refuel and drive off, the electromobility system is more complex. However, it also offers more scope for optimisation. Bus operator Schlienz-Tours in Baden-Württemberg is starting its e-mobility journey with two eCitaro G articulated buses and one eCitaro solo bus. Here, the issues of charging infrastructure and charging management are of particular importance.

Melina Winter, Transport Manager at Schlienz Tours: "the biggest difference in switching to electric buses was that while before, we were refuelling, now we're recharging." Here, time is an important factor because the charging times for the electric buses must be well planned. “With the help of the charging management software, we can determine when which buses are parked at the charging station and for how long, so that they are ready to go on time.”

Marc Ehrhard describes Daimler's unique approach: “we launched an intensive dialogue with Schlienz-Tours in order to develop a charging solution tailored to their individual requirements.” Together with his colleague Aleksander Stelmaszczyk, Marc is responsible for charging infrastructure in the Daimler Buses Solutions team. “It is also a question of which partners can best implement this on both an economical and cost-efficient level”, adds Aleksander.

This is where all of Daimler Buses' expertise pay off. "We have a wealth of experience from numerous projects. Of course, we also know our products inside-out and can call upon a wide range of partners for charging technology and charging software", says Elias Mex, the responsible project manager at Daimler Buses, summarising the advantages for the customer.

E-mobility consultant Elias Mex also keeps up-to-date on all project steps at Schlienz-Tours. "As the overall contractor, we coordinate the cooperation between charger manufacturers and charging management providers on the one hand and Schlienz-Tours on the other, until everything works. If there are unresolved issues, the customer always has us as their contact partner and knows that they can get in touch at any time. This is a huge advantage for them", emphasises Marc Ehrhard.

Melina Winter appreciates this close cooperation with the specialists too. "We always get the latest updates, so our system is also always up to date. With the OMNIplus ON online portal, we always have an overview of how much energy the eCitaro is using at what time and on which route section."

Daimler Buses works with several strategic partners with whom it has concluded framework agreements. This means that medium-sized bus operators automatically benefit from attractive conditions that are usually only available to larger companies. In the case of Schlienz-Tours, Daimler Buses' strategic partners are the charger manufacturer Ekoenergetyka and the charging management provider SINOS.

For Schlienz-Tours, it's simple: the tailored concept pays for itself. Danilo Djokic, Operations Manager at Schlienz-Tours, empasises “we are a private bus company and have to make money with our buses. E-buses are more expensive to purchase than diesel-powered buses, but cheaper to operate, and this can be optimised further with the charging management system.” The values for charging time, charging capacity and consumption make daily operating costs visible, helping the bus company to control costs. "We now have an even better idea of where our money is going. This is an advantage of using e-buses that we did not expect in the beginning."

There were also customer-specific requirements for the charging infrastructure at Schlienz-Tours. “We wanted to be able to access the data from the chargers from anywhere in order to monitor the eCitaro's charge level at any time”, explains Melina Winter. The solution implemented with SINOS uses an LTE router with its own SIM card instead of a network cable. This allows Schlienz-Tours to access the data directly – completely securely and from all end devices that are approved for this purpose. “We have completely redeveloped this system”, says Aleksander Stelmaszczyk. “This is really something special and overcomes many obstacles in terms of the customer’s network infrastructure. The LTE router enabled us to overcome these elegantly and easily.”

“This solution has simplified things enormously and saves our IT department a lot of working hours”, says Melina Winter. According to Aleksander Stelmaszczyk, Schlienz-Tours is a true pioneer in the industry.

The software application's user interface has also been designed entirely according to Schlienz-Tours' demands. It shows available and occupied chargers or charging points. A reading of the batteries' current charge level can be taken for each vehicle. It is also possible to analyse the charging processes graphically and in tables, from the start and stop times to the state of charge (SoC) and the output or temperature of the charger.

So what is the secret to success for an operational charging infrastructure? “We talk to the customer and then know what they need and find the best solution.” This was the sentiment of all the e-mobility experts at Daimler Buses.