Inside, the cockpit looks like normal and the quick changeover behind the wheel is no problem. After switching on the ignition, the blue instrument lighting catches the eye. A power meter replaces the rev counter, superfluous here, showing the current performance requirement when stepping on the accelerator and the status of recuperation when the eCitaro turns braking energy into electricity and tops up its batteries.

Adjust the seat and mirror, set the gearbox button to “D”, release the brake and put your foot on the gas – sorry: electricity – the eCitaro accelerates dynamically whilst remaining quiet. It appears almost effortless when the 13 tonnes plus start moving. Noise from the tyres on the road is louder than the drive unit. A challenge for the production department: there is no engine and no transmission here to drown out any creaking or rattling. It is a good thing it is a Citaro. It is also good that the eCitaro is produced alongside the combustion engine version – quality does not tolerate experiments.

Due to its eight-tonne front axle, the eCitaro sits firmly but not stiffly on the road. Thanks to a pitch-and-roll control system, it remains stable on bends despite the battery load on the roof. The eCitaro is well balanced. The centre of gravity and weight distribution benefit from the fact that some battery packs are housed in the rear in the place of the engine and transmission. Traffic light ahead: throttling in the eCitaro means sailing weightlessly towards it. Braking is done either by means of a brake pedal or a switch on the steering column. In both cases, deceleration takes place purely electrically and the energy recuperated charges the battery. This is particularly fascinating on longer downhill sections, when the eCitaro glides along and the range indicator shows a rising figure. Only in the case of very abrupt deceleration using the brake pedal does the classic friction brake intervene.

And the passengers? They too benefit from the lack of noise. A normal Citaro is quiet; the eCitaro is silent. You can hear that you cannot hear anything. The CO₂ air-conditioning unit saves electricity and also works effectively. The heating system with a highly efficient heat pump remains switched off in view of the temperatures today.

The eCitaro rolls along silently, almost inaudible for the environment, does not give off any emissions and there is no longer an exhaust pipe. The trip is much too short, yet one thing is clear: regardless of what the destination says, it is driving towards tomorrow. The future of the city bus – in the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, it is already the present. Another circuit? There is not enough time. How about a trip to Mannheim, Heidelberg, Hamburg when the new eCitaro is whispering along its lines there.